#I keep getting full time shifts despite literally officially working PART time
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I swear to fucking god, if they don't hire some new employees soon, and if that one coworker doesn't come back to help out already, I will lose my fucking mind.
#I keep getting full time shifts despite literally officially working PART time#and they're not even paying me accordingly#Just the usual part time amount. while giving me full time shifts.#I didn't even get paid accordingly for covering all those shifts for that one employee who refused to come anymore#due to being so down in the dumps about her fucking boyfriend drama and ultimately quitting because of it#And then there's a bunch of other shit that annoys me#and while none of this is So annoying that it makes me want to kms like my previous job-#I don't think I'm coming back for a second season once my contract expires#At least I'll finally have some proper job experience to put on my resumé. One (1) decent thing will be on there at least.#I hope when this is over I can manage to get a job at the writing and art supply store near the store I work at rn lol#Or a bookstore#Idc where just quiet and not too far away from wherr I live#v3nt
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we don't talk about it ââââââ you don't have the time â arda tries convincing you to come to his game.
⥠ââââââ pairing : arda gĂŒler x reader ⥠ââââââ tags : reader's gender, ethnicity, nationality, and appearance is not specified. situationship!arda guler. reader speaks turkish n is speaking turkish with arda in this. angsty i guess??? i keep asking myself why i keep on giving him these stressful situationship scenarios omfg ⥠ââââââ wordcount : 715 ⥠ââââââ notes : more situationship arda i literally dc. also sorry for not posting in a while im tiiiired with work and my intern!! >:(( title is from august by flipturn!! ⥠masterlist.
âSo you canât come?â
Arda breathes into the mic, his eyes immediately fluttering close as he hears shrugging on your end, his phone trapped between his shoulders and his ears.
âYeah.â
Arda tries imagining you right now. He tries imagining the expression on your face, he tries imagining what you are doingâswaying around, sitting down, biting your nails, rolling your eyesâand he lets his fantasies feed more into his imminent heartbreak.
He is in the changing room. Practice was rough that day, though he thinks that maybe itâs just him. Brahim seems to be having the time of his life, and Federico is somewhere talking to Antonio about the shenanigans that his kids, plural now that the youngest have turned one, have been up to lately.
And the room is far from quiet.
Itâs aliveâfull of Eduardo chanting a Spanish song that VinĂcius just taught him, full of Jude giggling as he texts his family group chat, and itâs full of Ardaâs ailing heart beating against his ribs.
âSorry,â you mumble to his speaker. Normally, Arda would find a way to voice his disappointment; he would click his tongue, he would thump his head against the wall, he would hang the call and scream into his mouth. But not right now.
âItâs in a week,â he tries negotiating, ânot a week, even. 10 days. Itâs in 10 days.â
The background noise increasesâmaybe heâs hallucinatingâand Arda decides that he wouldnât let anyone notice his distress.
No.
A part of him is embarrassed that heâs mulling so much over someone who he has been pining for for ages. He wonders if his older teammates, like Toni or Luka, know what a situationship is. His mother certainly does not. He asked her.
And sure thereâs nuances and context in every relationship, but it somehow feels humiliating to explain to his teammates that heâs sad over someone who he is crushing on, but is technically going out with, but also not dating, yet is in a relationship with.
âI know, Arda,â he hears something shifting on your end. âItâs just that I promised my friend that we would go hang out.â
âYou can hang out at the Bernabeu,â he encourages, still, his voice light despite the disappointment anchoring his chest. âIâll get you the tickets.â
Arda opens one eye and watches the changing room, making sure that nobody is giving him their time of day.
âI asked you a few days ago,â he mutters quietly, rubbing the back of his neck rather harshly at the pent up frustration heâs developed every time he speaks to you. âI mean, I asked you first. Itâs not fair.â
âNot fair?â
You echo him, and Arda lets out a rather long, extravagant sigh.
âSorry.â
âWeâre notââ you sigh. âNot fair? And whose fault do you think that is?â
Arda bites his lips, thinking over his words.
âSorry.â He sighs again. âMy fault. Itâs my fault.â
âRight,â you huff into the speaker.
âRight,â he repeats, before uttering out a weak, âI miss you.â
You didnât answer him for a moment, and Arda fears that he might have lost his hearing, but he eventually hears a breath.
âI miss you too.â
âI miss you more.â
A stupid smile etched on his lipsâan idiotic, hopeful smile.
âWhatever.â He can basically see you roll your eyes. âIâm still not coming. Iâm not coming to any of your games, you hear me?â
Until you make it official. He can basically hear you say.
Heâs had this conversation a million times, and for some reason, itâs not enough push for him to commit to a relationship. He feels like if it were anyone else, he would not have much of an issue in putting a label on your relationship.
But itâs you.
And he has spent so long wanting you. What if you become his, and then you leave? You break up with him, leave him shattered? There is no breakup if there is no relationship in the first placeâthe senseless voice in his head keeps on whisperingâthere is no being left alone if he never decided to stay.
âTell me if you change your mind.â
You huff to the phone again. âSee you, Arda.â
He holds back an I love you, and laughs softly.
âIâll see you around.â
#à»ê°àŸàœČÂŽ Ë ` ê±àŸàœČá : đŹđŒđ·đŻđ¶đčđ°đš đșđ¶đłđšđčđ°đš#arda guler#arda#arda x reader#arda guler x reader#real madrid#real madrid x reader#real madrid fic#football fic#football x reader#arda gĂŒler#arda gĂŒler x reader#one-shot
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Star Struck

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âł Summary: Youâre a creature of habit, you plan everything from each hour to each day, so you can imagine the chaos which ensues after you discover a random guy leaking black goo in a ditch- who just so happens to be an alien.
âł Pairing: Jungkook/Reader
âł Genre: lowkey strangers to lovers, alien!jungkook, fluff, smut,Â
Word Count: 13k
Tags: tentacle sex im sorry, foreplay, oral (f) but not?? jungkook is technically a virgin by human standards ayyy, penetration, nipple play, over stimulation, double penetration, squirting, sub!jungkook, breath play, spit kink, jungkook can make his own lube??, anal im so sorry, praise kink, they become soul mates on accident oops,
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You didnât see nor understand what JK was talking about at first, he just fumbled along between alleyways and roads and nobody, or what little people were on the streets didnât look at you twice given your friend was as tall and broad as he was. Perks of being with a man you guessed. You still didnât know what he was actually talking about except for the assumption that he had found his...friendsâŠ?
Eventually JK had dragged you through a lot of fields which had made you increasingly anxious, what if a kidnapper was out here? True you wouldnât mind him using his talon like tentacles then but still...You also didnât want to go to jail for assisting a homicide...Standing in an empty field, at the dead of night, was not what you intended on doing on a friday night.
JK seemed excited though as he bounced, grabbing a hold of you, he pressed his thumb to your forehead, your eyes fluttering shut on instinct from being so close to him suddenly but your brows pinched and an uncomfortable ache throbbed in your head before he released you. Rubbing your head you whined before you looked up again, only jumping with a screech at the...ship...in front of you...which was NOT there a moment ago.Â
âHome!â JK announced proudly as he grabbed your hand, tugging you along against your will, was this really...his ship? Oh god what if he was abducting you...You didnât have time to think as he ushered you inside. It looked small on the outside admittedly but on the inside it was all glossy and clean, a sleek futuristic look dawning the interior.
Futuristic, he was an alien, you werenât shocked at the assessment but still. This mustâve been the hanger or...living area⊠or...hell if you knew ship terms, it looked like the dining room but you didnât expect two others to appear. All of them speaking in that same throaty tongue as he ran to them, embracing them with pure excitement on his face before he pointed to you, a look of pride on his face as he cleared his voice, âY/n.â He spoke clearly as if introducing you.
 You gave an awkward stiff wave before immediately dropping your arm, you were going to be extremely pissed if this was the LSD trip you thought you were having yesterday. You watched them all speak to one another before the one on the right nodded, saying something before gesturing JK off, who hurriedly ran off leaving you alone....with two aliensâŠ
They both looked at you expectantly as you looked around, âHiâŠâ You offered an awkward smile, âYou guys are terrifyingâŠâ Watching the one on the right grab a watering can to pour over a small...purple colored...tree? âYou less soâŠâ You turned to the other one, his eyes dark and piercing and wowâŠif you thought JK was hot you hadnât even thought about what it would look like to seem someone attractive from his species, âYou the mostâŠâ You wrapped your arms around yourself uncomfortably.Â
âHeâs just assessing you, Taehyungâs like that with anyone associated with our Jungkookie.â You nearly wheezed at the sound of the one on the right speaking full...EnglishâŠhe offered a dimpled smile as if anticipating that reaction, âApologies. Iâm Namjoon, Iâm sure youâre extremely confused and scared with everything going on.âÂ
â...You could say thatâŠâ Your twisted somewhat painfully as you nodded rapidly, it was midnight and you were in a fucking spaceship, âUmmm, where did JK goâŠ?âÂ
Namjoon as he called himself suddenly snorted, shaking his head as he sighed, âTold him he shouldâve paid more attention in the academy,â He rolled his eyes, âJungkook,â He emphasised the name, âThatâs his full Earth name. He just forgot it because he never pays attention,â He offered a weak smile, âAnd heâs in the memoir chamber rememorizing English so he can actually speak to you. Itâs handy for us Orionianâs in case a situation like this happens and we donât know archaic languages like English.â
You didnât understand a word of what he just said, âIâm sorry...I think Iâm too dumb to talk to you, honestlyâŠâ You felt extremely stupid but much to your surprise Namjoon laughed in delight, as if endured by your words.Â
âYou humans are pretty humble huh,â He hummed as he continued watering the rest of his plants, âAnyways, our ship crashed here on Earth on our way to the andromeda galaxy and Jungkook ended up falling out, it was an...extremely rocky crashâŠâ His smile still weak as if a vague memory entered his mind, âYou have our utmost thanks for taking him in when he was injured and housing him.âÂ
âItâs no problem, I wouldâve done it for anyone.â You shifted a little, smiling a tiny bit despite still not feeling as comfortable as you wish you could be, it was just difficult to take in everything that was rapidly changing but your words still stood, you would have. Especially for...Jungkook...you lingered on the same, it sounded more fitting for the tall puppy like boy.Â
âSo what are your intentions with Jungkook?â You jumped at how deep the second voice was...Taehyung if you remembered correctly and he only looked about as hot as he was intimidating, âWhy did you take him in if you knew his identity.âÂ
You flailed a little, intending to speak yet no words came out...you...you hadnât really thought about it...at all honestlyâŠâI...I ummm...wellâŠâÂ
âAre you working for them?â Taehyung stepped towards you, his expression becoming cold as you feebly took a step back looking towards the ground and unsure of how to answer or if youâd even given him a satisfying answer.Â
âStop.â The new voice was raspy and low, not too terribly deep, but just enough to sound charming and rather rugged, Jungkook had appeared again only this time, immediately standing defensively in front of you, âShe found me and even after finding out about me being an Orionian she didnât report me to any Earth officials. I trust her, and you should too.âÂ
He...he could speak...perfect English now...What!?Â
Taehyungâs eyes narrowed onto you, still distrustful but he laid off, âRight...and what is this about you bonding with her? I donât think sheâd be a good vessel.âÂ
Jungkookâs jaw twitched and you could see the glow of the crescents on his hand burning in red, âWell Iâm not asking for your permission to bond with her.â He spat back, his brows furrowed and his lip twitching in anger, suddenly he didnât look so cute and puppy like anymore, âAnd itâs not like weâre getting off Earth anytime soon with the ship in this state, so itâs best if we just resume the plan as originally intended.âÂ
âYou think Iâd choose a vessel as inferior as humans to have my offspring?â Taehyungâs face curled as if that was the biggest insult he had ever heard and yet you nearly choked at his words, vessel? Offspring? Uh what?Â
âStop fighting,â Namjoon sighed and much to your surprise both of the two boys quieted down, Jungkook still stood in front of you, shuffling a little closer as Namjoon sighed, âJungkook is rightâŠâ He made a noise of victory as Taehyungâs mouth twitched in anger, the marks along his body burning a deep red that was just a little scary to watch from afar, âWith the technology at hand here on Earth and with Arbitrators searching for us, itâs in our best interest to make the most of what we have here. Besides, Earth is unsuspecting and was one of our forerunnerâs best creations. Itâs not too far off irony to let them be the vessel of our offspring.âÂ
You stared up at Jungkookâs broad back in disbelief...this man was trying to impregnate you after a half a day of knowing you!? You werenât sure plan B was prepared for this shit. Jungkook looked deeply satisfied at Taehyungâs reaction though before he turned to you, his expression soft and puppy-like as he smiled somewhat timidly before speaking as if he was a little giddy, âHiâŠâÂ
You couldâve said anything in this moment, in which Jungkook looked like he had been excitedly waiting for, and yet your choice of words had been admittedly poor.
âYouâre gonna have to bag another bitch, I donât do kids! I...I did NOT sign up for this!â You immediately backed away from him like he was poison and you didnât know how these fuckers procreated and at this point you werenât sure you wanted to learn!
Jungkookâs lips parted and he looked a little hurt before he quickly approached you again, âI donât expect you to want to carry my children yetâŠ.âÂ
âYet!?â You shouted out making all three of them flinch a little, âI...I just let you stay at my place because you looked like you were dying in a ditch, and now! Iâm in a spaceship, I canât find the exit and you can suddenly speak English and youâre talking about kids!? This...nu-uh this is going way too fast. I...I really need to get home.âÂ
Jungkookâs lips trembled a little as he reached out for you, âIâll take you back! Or-! Or you could stay here until the morning, you shouldnât be out alone, Earth has proved to be unsafe at night.â He tenderly held your forearms as your expression awkwardly twisted.Â
âNothing worse could happen to me than what happened earlier tonight,â You shook your head rapidly as you sighed, âJust show me the exit, Iâll be fine, really. Iâm happy for you! Seriously! I mean it looks like youâre reunited with your kin so thereâs no reason for us to stay in contact and itâs been fun and out of this world- literally.â You laughed a little as you rambled, all three staring at you wide eyed, âBut like, seriously Iâll keep this to myself and just hope itâs a really shitty drug trip like I originally thought it wasâŠâ
Jungkook sighed, lowering his head in defeat and his lips trembled a little in that sulky way it had been this morning as he went to the hatch where you both had come in, dialing a few buttons he waited a moment as he mumbled, âI just want to explain everything to you, I owe you that, at leastâŠâÂ
You said nothing waiting for the door to open as he dialed a few other buttons, and a few more, and again...and againâŠâUm,â He cleared his throat a little, âNamjoonâŠ? The door?â He asked, his eyes doe like as he stared at his companion who sighed, squeezing between you both as he also dialed a few numbers into the glowing pad.Â
They both waited before Namjoonâs lips twisted into a sigh as if somehow expecting this to happen before he spoke, âDoorsâ jammed...againâŠâ
âThis is fucking perfect.â Taehyung swore with a sigh, gritting his teeth as his eyes glared into you briefly, causing you to sheepishly back a little towards Jungkook, âIâm going back to my pod, I canât deal with this.â He brooded before leaving as you looked between both aliens.Â
â...Jammed? The door? As inâŠ?âÂ
Jungkookâs lips twisted into a nervous smile, his marks glowing a light purple as he coughed, âLooks like weâll have plenty of time to talk nowâŠâ Fuck! Why did things have to be this complicated, it could have been worse, but it was the same annoyance you had when Youtube played an unskippable ad, or when the lead in your pencil broke, a cookie falling onto the floor, that type of inconvenience.
Unshockingly Jungkook didnât hold the same feeling as he spoke gently, âI can show you to my pod, itâll be awhile before the door gets fixedâŠâ He gave you an endearing apologetic smile.Â
â...As long as you arenât gonna try to knock me up then sure.â You stared at him in disdain, making him weakly smile as he stepped back up the metal stairs and if you didnât know any better you wouldâve assumed he was actually happy you were stuck with no other choice but to stay.Â
âOnce you see her to your pod, a word please Jungkook...â Namjoonâs gaze was fixed on the door quizzically as if already trying to deduce what had made it jammed, he made no effort to look back at you both but you could tell it was probably important.Â
Jungkook only nodded eagerly and kept your hand in his as he lead you down the small the hallway, lights flickering and while you were anything but an engineer or mechanic, it wasnât hard to tell they had crash landed, Jungkook ignored the mess against the walls as he typed in something before a door slid open revealing what you assumed was his room, the door slid shut behind you making you jump a little as you investigated the space. It was a minimalistic room, a few trinkets laid around and a messy bed was against the wall.
âYou can sleep if you want...I know you were tired when I woke you upâŠâ Jungkookâs marks glowed a soft pink as he bashfully looked at the ground, scratching his cheek as if he didnât know what to say, âI um...I should go speak to my brother.âÂ
Before you could even say anything Jungkook had already left looking somewhat sheepish, leaving you to curiously look around the room, it was spacious and in tones of deep brown and black, a few gadgets laying around on his nightstand as you tilted your head.Â
His pod...so basically...a bedroom. You assumed as much as you couldnât really make a distinct difference between the two. True you couldâve slept like he had suggested, you were exhausted but too wired to even think about sleeping at the moment due to how bizarre of circumstances you were in. You were in an alienâs bedroom, on a space ship...
You had took your time browsing around the room, curiously holding a few trinkets in an attempt to figure out what they were, time passed slowly and for a while, you began to wonder if this was just a set up for them to butt probe you like Jimin had original thought they would. Not that you would mind as much as him but- besides the point, the longer you were left with your thoughts, the more that piled up.
When the door abruptly opened you nearly jumped out of your skin, hurriedly setting down what looked like a portable flame thrower before whirling around, Jungkook looked a little timid as he smiled, âIâm sorry that took so long...Um...â He closed the door gently before he gestured, âPlease, go ahead and rest, from my understanding...um...humans have a standard sleep cycle yes?âÂ
You didnât fully understand what he was asking besides if you slept at night, rubbing your neck you did as he gestured, taking a seat on the bed before you jumped a little as it did not feel like a normal bed, âUh I guess...? Why...why didnât you just leave? You...didnât have to wake me.â You mumbled, scooping your feet up as you laid down, shifting a little as you tried to get comfortable.
The bed felt almost like a marshmallow, something in between water and memory foam as the bed moved in slow, lapping waves as you attempted to get comfortable again with a pout tugging on your lips.Â
Jungkook watched you with endearment before he laid on the bed next to you, âYou have to stop moving, coranium matches the pattern of your body to keep everything aligned and slowly adjusts to the movement of your body throughout your sleep duration.âÂ
You rolled onto your side to look at him as you curled up a little, his marks still a light pink and his smile a little shy as he spoke, âTo answer your question I mean...I feel like it should be obvious, I want to make my bond with you so it was natural I wanted to take you with me. I donât know Earth well enough to confidently navigate it on my own without getting lost. I couldnât risk leaving you and then being unable to find my way back. As well as I knew Iâd be able to learn English fast in the memoir chamber, so then weâd be able to talkâŠâ he smiled a bit timidly, his eyes fondly washing over your face as you awkwardly scooted a little away from him.Â
His eyes downcasting a little at the gesture as he frowned, and once again, even despite speaking english now it didnât help his case in looking like a kicked puppy, âWell...am I supposed to know what a memoir chamber is? AndâŠ.bonding and...literally everything you guys have said thus far?âÂ
Jungkook rested his chin on his hands as he hummed, thinking about your words carefully before he spoke, âThe memoir chamber is in most Orionian ships, it helps us adapt to the planet around us and depending on what region weâre in, the language. Our kind carry human DNA- or...moreso the other way around, so inherently we know all Earth languages as they descended from Orionian dialect, butâŠâ He scratched his cheek, marks glowing pink once more, âI had a difficult time studying earth languages in the academy. Itâs unrealistic for us to know them all, so the Memoir serves as a rebrief to put in the language back into our minds.âÂ
God what were you in now? A shitty sy-fy film? You rolled onto your back as you said no more, thinking about his answer for a good long minute before you parted your lips only to shut them...Hold on one damn minute- did he just insinuate his kind created humans? Knowing all languages? What!? âI donât even know how to unpack that sentenceâŠâ You muttered, staring up at the ceiling which twinkled in a galaxy of constellations and if you didnât know any better you wouldâve assumed it was an open glass ceiling to outer space.
It aligned with nebulaâs and stars, planets for what looked like miles and miles. You could stare at it for hours in awe, how did you not notice that until now.
âI could only imagine being human, itâs a lot to take in,â Jungkook offered a gentle smile, âAs for bondingâŠâ He was pink all over as he scratched his cheek again, eyes fluttering away from yours almost shyly, âItâs what it sounds like, when we Orionianâs find a person who we like and want to share our life with, we begin a bond, and it takes awhile for the bond to grow but once itâs finished, weâd complete it with a mating cycle, and then...Weâre celestially bond together.â He mumbled a little shyly, his eyes looked like stars twinkling as he talked about it, almost in a dreamy fashion.Â
â....â You couldnât even find the words to say anything before you muttered, âYouâve known me for a dayâŠâ True Jungkook was cute, but all of this stuff about bonding and space really made it difficult to grasp the concept in a way which wasnât him basically proposing to you.
Jungkook looked as if he had been abruptly pulled from his little fantasy world as he frowned, propping himself on his forearm as he spoke, âTime is only a concept for Orionianâs, when we know who our bond is meant for, we just know. It doesnât matter if Iâve known you a day or your whole life, my feelings wonât change. I want us to bond.â His voice lowered a little, his eyes doe-like and filled with a sugary sweetness as he closed the gap between you both.Â
You were speechless. Many times in your life you had felt this way, but genuinely, you had no words. An alien just professed his love to you within twenty four hours of knowing him all because...whatâŠ? You fed him twice? Let him sleep in your bed once? What had you possibly done for him to think you could be his...his wife!?Â
âIâm not getting married, I- I mean Iâm flattered! I am.â You sat up, once again, pulling away from him as he mirrored you, his lips jutting into an almost frustrated pout, âBut like...I just turned twenty one this year....Iâm hardly a person let alone wife material.â
âBonding is hardly even close to the equivalent of human marriage,â Jungkook wrinkled his nose, almost a little endeared, he knew little of human marriage from the media he had watched when you werenât present, and while humans had similar ideas of romance, it was hardly comparable, he spoke gently, âItâs far more special and permanent. Being bonded isâŠâ He closed his eyes, a half dimpled smile on his lips as he hummed, âItâs like feeling like the universe has completely aligned on your behalf, and that the planets and stardust gifted you a celestial mate who would never turn their back on you, who would always dry your tears and heal you when youâre hurt. The bond extends past this lifetime and into the next and so forth.âÂ
â...You lost me at âmoreâ permanentâŠâ For a woman with a whole baggage load of commitment issues Jungkook was really not selling this idea to you well, âSorry but I think you got the wrong girl.â You could appreciate the bizarreness of this situation and admittedly you felt like youâd always have a superior âmain characterâ moment story to one up somebody with but this whole business about being stuck with someone for multiple lifetimes and having alien babies was really not something you could follow up with.
Jungkook looked severely hurt which made you do a double take, not quite anticipating such a pitiful reaction as his lips quivering and his eyes even looking somewhat glassy as he spoke, âO-oh...I seeâŠâÂ
wow way to make you feel like an asshole. He had shuffled a little curling up against himself as if trying to make himself appear small as he looked away from you. Sighing you ran a hand through your hair, well fuck, what did you have to lose at this point in your life?
â...Jesus christ, okay...what...what does...you knowâŠâ you coughed a little, rubbing your neck as Jungkookâs doe eyes looked at you timidly before darting away when you met his gaze, âWhat does this bonding shit entail anyway?âÂ
Jungkook was incredibly attractive, there was no denying it and the worst that could happen would be things didnât work and you just went back to normal non-tentacle men. Jungkook perked a little at your question, still seeming a bit reserved as he mumbled, âWell...bonding is a long process...itâs not something out of human fiction that just immediately happens. When a bond is first created itâs incredibly delicate, you have to be careful and make sure both partners dedicate time to strengthening the bond.â
Laying your head against your arms that were folded in front of you while listening intently you hummed, âAnd letâs say hypothetically, could the bond be broken?âÂ
Jungkookâs expression crumpled a little as he mumbled, âIt can be severed, but the more strengthened the bond is, the more painful itâll be for both partners. But yes, it is possible. I should also mention a bond is only possible unless both partners are in agreement and want it just as much as the other.âÂ
You hummed, thinking about his words, so technically it wasnât really possible given both of you had different alignments right now, âAlright well, here on Earth we call it dating, which is a lot less intensive than that, so if you want me to do that then youâre gonna have to go by human standards first.â It was reasonable enough and a happy compromise.
You wouldnât deny you felt a pull towards Jungkook, ever since he had arrived yesterday morning your life had been anything but normal and yet you embraced every twist and turn so far and...there was admittedly a secret giddy part of you that revelled in old childhood nostalgia that someone had actually fallen from the sky and would now show you a world of many possibilities outside of earth.Â
The only thing holding you back was the logic and reason that your family held and pushed onto you at a young age, long gone were the days of staring up at the stars in hopes of seeing something supernatural and daydreaming during recess about being whisked off earth. You didnât know how to connect with that childlike side of yourself anymore, it had been so long since you bothered with those thoughts that now that the opportunity was presented to you, you genuinely didnât know how to react.
Jungkook had immediately perked up his brows raised and immediate interest in his expression, âIâll do it! If it means winning your affection,â his smile was a little toothy and innocent as he spoke, âHow do humans date? What do they do?â He tilted his head in curiosity while waiting excitedly for your reply.
You couldnât help but smile a little at how enthusiastic he was, âWellâŠâ you drew a breath in thought, âItâs not too different then it is from now, weâll go out to eat together, get to know each other, stuff like that.âÂ
Jungkook deflated a little, confusion in his eyes as he frowned, âBut thatâs stuff we do now...as...friendsâŠâ his frown furthered on his lips, âWhat sets friends and dating apart if we do the same thingâŠ?âÂ
You rubbed your neck, beginning to get a little flustered at his question as you shifted a little, mumbling, âWell the difference is friends are strictly platonic, dating someone means youâre interested in them romantically and...you know...we hold hands...or cuddle or...I donât know romantic shitâŠStuff friends donât do.âÂ
When did Jungkook get closer to you? His head tilted in curiosity as he spoke, â...And? Is that it? Iâm sorry,â he apologized a bit bashfully, looking rather pink, âIâm trying to discern possible differences in boundaries set between a regular human relationship compared to OrionianâsâŠI donât want to do anything that might make you...uncomfortableâŠâÂ
You stared at him for a good moment, as if trying to discern whatever he was trying to say without actually saying it, âWell...Iâm not sure how different it can beâŠâ Jungkook said nothing, fidgeting a little as you looked at him for a long moment, â...Iâd tell you if you made me uncomfortable.â Was this...going where you thought it was going?Â
Jungkook shuffled a little closer, his nose nearly brushing yours and his lips that looked so soft jutted into a slight pout, his eyes could hardly meet yours as he timidly asked, â...How...intimate are humans in their relationships?âÂ
Your face felt like it was on fire though as you muttered with raised brows, âUh pretty hands on...if you wanna fuck me you can just ask.â You looked up at him, feeling a bit bold given he was a little more on the shy side, you could tell just him asking that had obviously taken a lot of courage on his part.
Jungkookâs marks had suddenly filtered from baby pink to a deep maroon, his face looked nothing except shy and a bit hazy as he mumbled, âWould you let meâŠ? I donât...exactly share the same anatomy as your male counterpart...Orionianâs...intimacy looks a bit different.âÂ
You felt intrigued and horny at the same time, it was tentacles wasnât it? Please god let it be the tentacles, âYou canât threaten me with a good time,â you laughed a little, trying to take a little bit of the nervous edge off Jungkook as you offered a small smile, âJust show me, Iâm...what other humans would consider pretty kinky. Doubt itâll scare me off.â You couldnât admit that his tentacles were immediately making your panties soaked because god did you want to be filled up like a scared hentai girl right now.
You squeaked at Jungkook suddenly climbing on top of you, his eyes hazy and he pulled the sweatshirt over his head, revealing the strip of glowing maroon that led up the center of his arms and wrapped over his shoulders, his tentacles suddenly emerging from his back much to your horny excitement, âOur tendons are both are strongest and weakest point of our body.â Jungkook mumbled against your neck, the feeling of something extremely foreign wrapping around your thigh, almost something between like a soft silicon and jello substance.Â
Not sticky like you had anticipated, but soft enough that it could be almost considered wet, âThey protect us but theyâre also what we use to procreate with, if theyâre cut off or majorly damaged, we become sterilized. My eggsâŠâ He suddenly became a bit timid as he mumbled, âThey arenât fertile yet...But regardless I wouldnât fill you unless we were bonded, so you wonât have to worry about impregnation. Intimacy is still an act of strengthening a bond though, so itâs utilized a lot at the beginning of an Orionian relationship.â
You werenât fully paying attention at this point, too busy nearly drooling at the feeling of his tendon slithering along your clothes, âI can understand if youâd prefer to not do this though.â Jungkook seemed somewhat embarrassed and timid, his tendons slithering around your pajama band but doing nothing further.
âNo!â He nearly jumped at how you almost yelled it, your eyes frantic and you were nearly dripping at how horny you were, your voice needy as you whined, âIâm literally a slut Jungkook, Iâm more than happy to experiment.âÂ
Jungkook didnât need anymore confirmation then just that, his tentacle that had been playing with the band of your pajamas immediately pushing underneath it as you whined, your legs immediately parting for it as it ran up your panties, the soft wetness that ebbed from it soaking whatever was dry of your panties, was this arousal of his own? He moaned softly as he pressed his face into your neck, âI know you feel this is fast, but Orionianâs tend to not like to waste time.â His tentacles slid along your panties before pushing inside the band.
Your lips parted at the soft wet sensation of it gently prodding along your clit in exploration making a yelp escape you.
Jungkook jolted a little in concern as he looked down at you, somewhat shyly and his cheeks were a deep maroon much like his marks, âKeepâŠ! Fuck!â You whined at the way his tentacles as if testingly flicked along your clit, another tentacle which had been floating behind him absently had suddenly emerged forward, making quick work of your pajamas and panties as the other continued working along your clit making you whimper as your back arched a little.Â
The second tendon slowly brushed along your soaked cunt, embarrassingly wet sounds could be heard throughout the room as Jungkook moaned in contentment, âThis feels so nice,â he mumbled with a whine, the second tentacle which had been stroking you slowly wiggled against your entrance making you squeak. Your horniness couldnât be put into words at how bad you wanted this man to shove all tentacles inside you.
Your lips immediately parting at the tip of the tentacle pushing inside you, it was too soft to be considered that of a toy or dildo but too firm to be anything foreign, you couldnât resist propping yourself up onto your elbows, your legs spread as you looked down, your face twisting and cheeks throbbing at the lewd sight of two tentacles hard at work on your cunt, one continuously flicking your clit and rubbing along it while the other began to testingly thrust inside you.Â
Your lips dropped open as you moaned feeling Jungkook push it further and further inside you before giving it a testing wiggle, a scream nearly ripped from your throat at how it hit all the right spots.
Unable to even support yourself as you dropped back down with a whine as Jungkook quickly began to pick up the pace even more, âFuck,â he moaned softly, the tentacle pulsed and throbbed as it squished and wiggled while being thrusted back and forth in short motions, your cunt was so tight and your walls kept trapping him further and further inside you as you whined, âMm, females of my kind donât have anything like this,â he moaned two more tentacles had suddenly appeared from his back, one pinning your wrists above your head and the other wandering to your flimsy shirt before pushing underneath it, and much to his delight Jungkook found nothing underneath except your soft breasts, âNothing this- mmm, fuck,â it came out more of a whine this time as you felt his tentacles wiggling in delight at the way your cunt clenched around him, âsmall, and warm...Fuck,â Jungkook dipped his head, running a hand through his hair, the third tendon wrapped around your nipple making you whimper, jolting as your cunt squeezed around the tentacle that was beginning to roughly split apart your walls as it discovered your g-spot, your mouth parting as whined spilled from your lips at the insane feeling of the tip of his tentacles flicking up against it rapidly.
âAh! Fuck fuck fuck, Jungkook!â You whined as your back arched, your eyes nearly rolling to the back of your head at how many sensations were going on, between him finding the sweet spot of your clit, the tip of his tentacle flicking up into your g-spot the other one squeezing with just the right amount of pressure on your nipple.Â
Jungkookâs lips parted and his eyes were hazy but in awe at the way your body contorted, your small little walls nearly entrapping his tentacle as you came harshly, whined and whimpers escaping you as he forcefully kept flicking up into your g-spot, his other rubbing gently against your clit as your body frantically moved, yet your hips kept thrusting up to try and take more of his tendon as you whined, âFuckâŠ! Jungkook! Ah..!â Jungkook moaned softly as he gave you just what you wanted, pushing himself further inside you until he was dangerously close to your cervix.
His tentacle was soft enough that no pain was even involved as he kept wiggling it into you, soundless moans escaped you as your cunt began wrapping convulsing around him, your clit burning in pleasure due to sensitivity as he kept letting the soft tendon rub against the tender bud.
âFuck!â You whined, liquid suddenly spewing from your cunt much to Jungkookâs surprise, his tentacle had immediately restricted at the feeling leaving your cunt feeling empty and tears nearly escaping yours eyes in frustration due to it despite his second tendon continually abusing your clits sweet spot, within the second the first tentacle entered your once more pushing with no hesitation right back to its original position as Jungkook began wiggling once again with short thrusts.Â
Your walls kept squeezing around him causing him to moan as he whined, âYou- you need to stop doing that...feels too good.â He mumbled shyly against your skin as you nearly convulsed in pleasure at the way his third tendon was wrapped around your nipple, giving the bit of pressure that had your cunt squeezing around his tentacle, too busy in your own pleasure to care about what he wanted, your hand wrapped around his throat making his eyes widen and his lips part submissively, âIâm gonna keep doing what I want baby- fuck...I think you like it when my little cunt squeezes around it.â You purposely clenched around his tentacle and you could physically feel it throb inside you.
Jungkookâs lips trembled a little a moan escaped him at your hand squeezing lightly around his throat his tentacle immediately fucking you even faster in comply as your lips parted in glee, your hips rolling a little to slide along the slick thick tendon, âThats right baby boy, I bet youâve never felt a cunt like this before huh?â You let out a shaky cackle as your hand sadistically squeezed harder around his neck.Â
His gaze dropped and he only whined, quickly crumbling to your dominant hands that only excited you further, it was one thing to cross off your bucket list getting fucked by an alien, it was two being able to dom one, âOh am I suddenly in control now?â You mockingly pouted before a twisted smirk curled on your face at how Jungkook wouldnât meet your eyes any longer.
Power was practically leaking in your veins, you were getting fucked by a tentacle alien and he was a shy little sub? Your squeezed harsher around his neck, a whiney moan suddenly escaping him as his tentacle harshly pulsed inside you before it frozen, his face buried into your neck, impatient and now knowing you could boss him around freely your hips lifted, squelching and slipping around the tendon with ease as his lips trembled against your neck, âMmm! P-please! You have to slow downâŠâ he whimpered a little at how cruel you were being with him.Â
You could care less in this moment though, too busy living out your dream fantasy bucking your hips against the soft subtle material, your cunt squeezing around him as you moaned softly.
Your moan twisted to a growl at the feeling of his tentacle pausing in your clit, your hand finding his hair as you harshly balled it into your hand, âI didnât give you permission to stop.â Jungkookâs gaze lowered and his eyes a little watery despite the angry pout on his face.
âYou arenât listening to me.â He mumbled stubbornly and your lips twitched, outwardly showing displeasure but inwardly seeking the chase he was trying to give. Jungkook fumbled with you had pushed away, briefly his tendons pulled away in semi surprise, at first assuming you had taken his shy words the wrong way but he was quickly mistaken when he was shoved onto the bed, a whine escaping him as the tentacles quickly adjusted to be semi flattened. His lips were quivering at the sight of your naked body straddling him and your hand on his jaw, âTruthfully, I donât think you want me to listen baby.â You pouted mockingly, the feeling of his stretched tentacles seekingly wrapping around your thighs, âOpen.âÂ
Jungkookâs lips parted a little, his eyes watering and looking a little confused at your words, but you had took advantage of the opportunity, spitting into his mouth as he suddenly whined, his ears bright red following along with the magenta color coursing through his body as your hand wrapped around his throat in a firm grip, âGood boy.â You smiled loosely, wiping a stray bit of saliva from his lip as he whined, a tentacle beginning to stroke against your soaked cunt once more but this time he did nothing except in hopes of an invitation.
âSuch a good boy, go on, I know you want to.â You cooed out, your head hanging a little and your lips parting at the feeling of the tentacle plunging back inside your warm walls with a loud squelch, âStay still.â You commanded sharply and with a noisy whine from Jungkook as he obediently listened, you could feel the foreign tendon inside you pulsing still as if it nearly killed him to do so. Your hips steadily began to move along the tentacle, your cunt clenching around it as you took more of him it only got fatter and thicker the more you took.Â
âAhh, fuck. Thatâs it baby, câmon keep filling me up. I know you want to. I can see it in your face.â You taunted, feeling his tentacle doing a test wiggle inside you as you slid along it, arousal coating him as he whined, you had a great view of his other tentacles sliding from under his back and extending upward, the second quickly made way for your clit much to your excitement, your lips parted and a whine escaping you as it kept rubbing into your sweet spot it had previously discovered.Â
You were too busy trembling and moaning, attempting to fight off another orgasm at the feeling of your clit almost feeling like it was being ate out at how soft the tip of his tentacle was gently lapping against it and a soft wet arousal of his own leaking from the tip, you had bounced against his tendon in short motions, craving all of him inside you as your body began to convulse, your hands balling against his chest with a whine at how difficult it was to stop yourself from cumming immediately.
Jungkook wasnât letting go without a fight though, a third tentacle had surprised you, pushing between the cheeks of your ass making you nearly gasp a whine, âFuck! Fuck, please.â You mumbled in a moment of weakness, giving your consent that youâd like to trust heâd be able to make this feel good. Jungkook didnât hesitate for a second, the tentacle oozed a slippery liquid, his own arousal along your puckered rim. You were almost too fucked out to even pay attention, your body busy still riding him and trying to focus on anything but the feeling of the slippery tentacle flicking at your clit and finding nearly every pleasurable nerve physically possible.Â
It was difficult to miss the third one pushing slowly into your ass as your lips jumbled something nearly incomprehensible, your body collapsing semi against him, only being held up by your weak forearms, âMmph! Fuck baby keep going, just like that. Such a good boy for me.âÂ
Jungkook squeaked out what sounded like a pleasant noise at the praise, perhaps sensing your body beginning to crumble as his tentacles took back over, quickly thrusting inside you once more and wiggling to his heart's pleasure as drool nearly dropped from your lips. Unable to even do anything or say anything with two tentacles plunged inside you.Â
The tip of the tentacle was just narrow enough to slip inside your ass with a gentle sting but pleasurable enough to make your toes curl and whines escape you at the feeling of the force of his thrusts on either side of your body. His second was still lapping up around your clit, finding that perfect spot that nearly made your vision go white and you werenât sure what escaped your throat other than possibly the best orgasm you would ever experience in your life.Â
And it didnât stop after a second, it just kept going with his tentacles drilling inside you and lapping around your delicate hyper sensitive clit as you whined and cried against him. Jungkook moaned softly as you felt what potentially might have been a second tentacle greedily pushing inside your cunt, whimpers escaping you at how harshly he was thrusting up inside you and how stretched your body was.Â
Your mouth parting at the feeling of the forth tentacle pushing its way to meet the first as you squeaked and whined against him, a tentacle wrapping around your waist to hold up your lower body that nearly collapsed as your vision blurred with tears at how hard you were being fucked. Jungkookâs eyes were shut tightly and his hands had finally grabbed your waist as extra support as his third tentacle wiggled its way further into your ass. The pleasurable sting becoming more and more noticeable as you cried out at the feeling of one tentacle flicking up against your g-spot and the other harshly thrusting into you while your clit was hypersensitive at the feeling of being rubbed and flicked.Â
Your last orgasm couldnât even compete with this one as you cried out, body convulsing and cunt tightening as you nearly scrambled almost looking possessed to the unknown eye, your body had clenched up so hard at being so filled you hadnât even heard the sharp whine from Jungkook. Hot liquid suddenly spurted everywhere the majority of it inside you but some getting on you, over the bed, everywhere.Â
Jungkook whimpered and whined, digging his face into your neck and his tentacles were pulsing sharply as if literally pumping out every drop of liquid they could inside you. You were so fucked out you could hardly even ask what in the actual hell he just injected inside you. You had already been tired before but your body was burning and aching, feeling as if you had literally been ripped to pieces.Â
At least you finally got a piece of that tentacle action.
You were not someone that fucked and then immediately slept afterwards, typically after a one night stand, depending on your relation with the person you would either ghost them by pretending to go to the bathroom, talk and hang out afterwards, or go get something to eat together, or by yourself, you werenât picky.
Rubbing your blurry eyes you yawned, your body aching with even the slightest movement, Jungkook was the first man who had ever fucked you so hard, you had little to no choice but to fall asleep afterwards, you probably couldnât even stand if you wanted too. He was curled up against your chest at the moment, his head pressed into your breasts looking way too content at the moment.Â
Your eyes trailed down at his fluffy raven hair before down the warm tawny skin of his back, something in your chest stirring, it felt like it was almost physically tugging you closer to his body, your hand finding its way to his hair making him stir a little. Jungkookâs arms wiggled against your waist to make himself comfortable once more before relaxed with a content sigh.Â
The marks on his back glowed a sentient purple, you had never gotten a good look at his back before.Â
And while this wasnât that great of a position to view, you were still curious with what you could see, they formed two long strips down his back widening a fair bit and they stopped just at the smallest part of his waist. If you didnât know any better you wouldâve remarked that it looked like he had wings ripped from his back.
As morbid as it sounded, and that is of course if they glowed like this. Jungkook really was the prettiest thing you had ever seen, your hand hadnât even meant to pull from his hair down his neck, you couldnât help the tug in your chest wanting to touch.
However the moment your fingers grazed over the mark that covered his left shoulder blade Jungkook nearly flew out of your arms making you jolt in just as much surprise as him, his lips parted and he had sat up, gaze sharp as he looked around as if for any possible intruders. Slowly as he woke up though he came to the realization it was just you and him, your smile becoming somewhat sheepish as you mumbled, âUm, sorry, I didnât mean to wake you.â You cleared your throat feeling bad now, was it just that sensitive? You might not know much about Orionianâs but you could take a guess and assume that was the opening to where his tentacles laid dormant, and given they were also how they procreated...It was natural Jungkook was probably a little defensive about them being touched.Â
Jungkook said nothing though, only staring at you for a long moment before he whined a little, suddenly crawling back up to you before collapsing on top of you as you huffed, âYou canât startle me like that, my scaling is sensitive.â He mumbled a little shy, grabbing your hand as he placed it back on top of his head obviously wanting affection.Â
Your fingers dug back into his scalp making a pleasant noise escape him as his body relaxed once more, â...Scaling?â Your brows furrowed at his words, complying with his silent demand to have his hair played with as he curled up against you, his lips tugged into a smile as he rested his face between your breast.Â
âYeah, my scales.â Jungkook nodded as he held up his arm, pointing at the glowing marks making you frown, that...looked nothing like scales....Jungkook smiled a little as he rested back down while explaining, âThere filled with hyper plasma so depending on the hormonal chemistry of my body will change colors.â You got that part, even before he could speak English, but still...when you thought of scales, you thought of stuff like fish and...scaly things. Not aliens.Â
Jungkook only smiled happily as he looked up at you, it looked like thousands of stars twinkling in his eyes and the dim lights reflected off his iridescent skin, little tones of purple and blue could be spotted as he lifted his hand up to cup your cheek, his fingers carefully trailing down your jawline. There was a wave in your chest, something strong like...the only thing you could describe was pure happiness, âHey what did you blow inside?â You hadnât even meant to ask that question but it had abruptly crossed your mind.Â
Jungkookâs gaze faltered a little, his scales suddenly turning bright pink and his bashfully lowered his gaze, pressing his cheek on your chest as he mumbled, âIt was just plasma, itâs what helps carry eggs when theyâre released but...I already told you...my eggs arenât ready yet. You have no possible chance of getting pregnant without my prior knowledge.âÂ
His fingers tethered against your stomach as if saddened at the idea that his future kin werenât in your stomach, a wave of sadness fleeting inside your chest briefly as you frowned, why did you feel so odd? You werenât even the least bit sad about not being pregnant.Â
âOkay...good I was just..wondering sinceâŠâ You coughed a little, not finishing your sentence which you were originally going to say because he used you like an actual cum dump- not that you minded. But still. It was good to know. Jungkook said no more, only burying into your chest with a pouty whine.Â
Yawning you stretched out looking around before grabbing your phone which had somehow made it alive on your night stand, your notifications flooded with Jiminâs drunk texting on where you went last night and why you werenât home...Wait, your eyes darted to the time, it was noon?! You had a lecture in half an hour!Â
âFuck! I have to get to class!â You immediately jolted up making Jungkook whine as he was jostled onto the bed as you limped along in search of your clothes, your body aching and resisting with each fumble before you nearly collapsed out of fatigue while grabbing your panties.Â
âCanât you just stay? Just for a little longer?â Jungkook mumbled, his lips in a large puppy like pout as he held out his hand to you, something stirring in your chest that wanted to just curl back up against him, his eyes doe like and soft, almost pleading for you to cuddle back up against him.Â
âI have midterms coming up Jungkook, I really canât afford to skip class.â You offered an apologetic smile, âBesides itâs not like we canât go get something to eat later or anything.â Pulling your pants up you wobbled to the door, frowning as you pulled your sweatshirt back over your head, where was the door handleâŠ?
â..B-but!â Jungkook fumbled as he pulled his shirt over his head before hurrying over to you, âJust five more minutes? Or two? PleaseâŠ!â There was something urgent in his voice as his lips trembled as if he would be devastated if you left.Â
Examining the door your lips parted as you pushed the button on the wall, jolting a little as the door slid open, âJungkook,â You paused briefly, feeling a dull ache in your chest, a brief desire to do as pleaded as you looked up at him, âI really have to go to class okay? Iâll drop by later when Iâm finished for the day Iâm sure you...have stuff you need to talk about with your...um...kinâŠâ You raised your brow a little awkwardly before you back walking down the hallway, something inside the back of your head almost tempted to stay with him.Â
He looked so panicked and whiny, it made you feel bad for having to go, and furthermore you secretly wished you could stay longer but you couldnât afford to miss class with midterms so close.Â
If your memory was correct this should lead toâŠ! Aha, you felt victorious at the sight of the main, living area? The circular table was towards the smaller three step ledge that went up into the control room and the purple bonsai-like plant which had just been freshly pruned sat delicately on the other side of the room.Â
âNo! I....Can I come with you then? And then we can come back here together later?â Jungkook pleaded, his lips trembling and his eyes almost watery as you paused with a sigh, he was really tugging on your heart strings huh...It was almost easier to deny him back when he was unable to actually speak his wants to you.Â
âJungkook I- I mean I guess you couldâŠ? But like, itâs just lecture, itâs boring, I have to be focused the whole time and no offense but...I feel like if you came I wouldnât focus.â You pulled a little away from him with an awkward smile while silently hoping the door had been fixed.Â
âMorning you two,â You turned around at the sight of Namjoon appearing from the large opening of the control room Taehyung who still looked sour following after him only to lean against the wall with crossed arms, Namjoon stepped down the three steps as he offered a polite smile, âI hope you slept well, Iâm sure itâs a lot different compared to human dorms.âÂ
You looked away from Namjoon unable to speak at the question of having slept well, you hardly slept half the night after getting your back blown out, but he was right, it was nothing like human- in any aspect whatsoever, whether it was the bed or who you got fucked by last night.Â
âIt was fine...um the door....Is it fixed?â You pointed your thumb behind your shoulder as you offered a weak smile.Â
Namjoon nodded stepping closer before he abruptly paused, his brows furrowing before he looked between you and Jungkook without so much as a word, it made you somewhat self conscious as you shuffled in your spot at nobody volunteering to get the door open, âYeah, itâs fixed, ummâŠâ His smile was a little tense before he looked between you and Jungkook, âAre you both going out? Already?âÂ
Jungkook refused to look his elder in the eyes, his lips plush and pouty, hair dusting over his eyes as he shuffled in his spot refusing to answer whatever unasked question his elder had, âUh yeah, Iâm going to class, Jungkook can stay here though, Iâll be back later.â You shrugged, not understanding what their problem was.Â
Taehyung had not interjected into the conversation yet, his dark hair brushing over his eyes only in the opposite effect of Jungkook, making him look as if he had a death warrant with your name on it, âAnd leave Jungkook alone?â He gritted his teeth looking like he was ready to snarl at you, your lips quirked a little and your brow lifted in confusion, wasnât that typically what people meant when they said they had to leaveâŠ?Â
âUh yeah, and Iâll come backâŠ?â You trailed off, making it sound more like a question then a statement before Taehyung suddenly pushed off the wall, his walk was by no means in any hurry, but his shoulders were squared and his steps were paced with determination that had you taking a step back at the sight of him not stopping until he was right in front of you.Â
The energy of the room had gone tense before Taehyung snarled, âYou bonded with my little brother and now youâre going to leave him!?âÂ
You shrieked at suddenly being shoved against the wall, your ribs throbbing in pain as Taehyungâs hand wrapped around your throat, crushing your windpipe as you gagged, âHumans really are pathetic selfish people.â Tentacles suddenly wrapped around Taehyungâs hand before he was ripped away from you, hot red scales were a blur as Jungkook stood in front of you protectively.Â
Your hands rubbing your sore throat as you leaned against the wall gasping for air, âStay out of this!â Jungkook growled, his lips twitching and his eyes burning into his brothers, âThis doesnât involve you, let me sort it out and if you ever fucking touch my mate like that again I wonât hesitate to rip your eggs straight out of your utaria.âÂ
You jolted at the sight of Taehyung lashing out at Jungkook, both of them slamming into the wall near the hallway as they grappled and yet you could only stare in shock at what had just happened and what you had just heard. Namjoon was immediately between them both separating the two as he growled, âTaehyung that wasnât necessary! I doubt she even realizes what happened!â Namjoon immediately twisted towards Jungkook with a scowl, âAnd you! What did I tell you last night?âÂ
Jungkookâs jaw was clenched, his scales a hot burning red that matched Taehyungâs and yet his eyes couldnât meet Namjoonâs, his lips twitching a little as he glared into the wall, his expression slowly melting as Namjoon snapped, âWhat did I tell you!? Why canât you two ever listen for once? If you had we probably wouldnât even be stuck on Earth right now! This is your mess Jungkook, I told you it wasnât a good idea to bond this early on in our stay on Earth.âÂ
Jungkookâs expression had turned neutral but something in his eyes still seemed bitter as he stared at the ground now, perhaps too scared to look up at you, who had backed away from all the men in shock. You...but...Jungkook saidâŠThe silence set in and slowly each brother turned their gaze towards you before Jungkook was the last, his face filled with remorse at your expression as your lips parted, âYouâŠ! You told me-â Your lips parted variously before you finally forced out a sentence, âYou lied to me!âÂ
âI didnât!â Jungkook immediately hurried over to you, his expression filled with guilt and desperation, âI- Y/n I wasnât even aware we had bonded until Taehyung pointed it out! Iâm sorry I had no idea IâŠ!â All you heard was excuse after excuse though, something indescribable filled your chest and your vision blurred in anger.Â
âIâm going! I canâtâŠ! I canât even look at you right now Jungkook!â Upset felt like it had magnified tenfold in your chest as you rushed down the metal stairs, punching against the button before the door opened, your throat felt squeezed and like you were suffocating as you ran as far and fast as your legs could take you. What was happening to you?Â
âIâm fineâŠâÂ
Jimin and Seokjin exchanged glances, light poured in from the opened door behind them of your bedroom, the blanket wrapped around your body has you held it up above your nose, âUh donât lie bitch,â Jimin quirked a brow, his lips twitching in anger at just the sight of you trying to tell such an obvious lie, âItâs been three days since...whatever happened with JK- âJungkook,â âI donât give a fuck what his name is, youâve been a recluse ever since, what happened?âÂ
Just the mention of Jungkookâs name made your chest physically ache as you curled further into yourself, you werenât in physical pain, you couldnât even fully describe it.Â
All of your feelings just felt so amplified, like they swirled at just the surface of your chest and ready to burst out at any given moment. It felt like a physical string around your heart that squeezed and tugged harder and harder that left you in a depressed state with no energy left to do anything except what you had been doing.
Weakly sleeping half the time or scrolling on your phone in a useless attempt to think about anything other than Jungkook. You couldnât even understand how you felt so attached to him and how much your body ached to just be wrapped up in his arms, but you were still so upset at what had happened.Â
Questions swirled in your mind and to which you didnât have the answer too and it made you even more upset that you wouldnât get answers unless you went back, âY/n, weâre just worried.â Seokjin raised his brows, his expression apprehensive but softened at the weak state you were in, âYou havenât been out of your room ever since the morning after the party. Midterms are just around the corner, I doubt you slack off for a shit reason.âÂ
You only curled up further before you sighed, closing your eyes as you finally caved in and mumbled an explanation as to what had happened and what you were now suffering under. Seokjin seemed more calm but Jiminâs lips were twitching in anger as he scowled, âYouâre joking! Well letâs just go and demand he cut whatever alien ties he has on you.âÂ
You knew he was just trying to help but you only shook your head, â...Taehyung said I was the one that had apparently formed the bond, I didnât even know that was possible.â You mumbled, you buried into your pillow, a feeling of guilt building into your chest as you tried to forget the ghost image of Jungkookâs hurt eyes in your mind.Â
âWell itâs obviously affecting you mentally and physically, I mean seriously, you havenât showered in days, you arenât eating, Y/nâŠâ Seokjin kneeled down, a frown on his face, âYou need to swallow your pride, as stubborn as you are, and go talk to Jungkook about this. Weâll come with you, you probably wonât even have the energy to get there, but heâs the only one who can help.â
You managed to roll over to your side, your back facing them both now as you pulled the blanket over your head, you didnât want to face Jungkook again, you werenât sure you were ready to. You had so many mixed feelings and you werenât even sure what to begin on asking questions.Â
Neither said anymore before you heard Seokjin reluctantly sigh, âIâll leave it for tonight, but tomorrow morning youâre giving us directions and weâre going to get this sorted.â They both left shortly after and closed the door sinking the room back into a depth of darkness. A heavy weight back on your chest and sudden ache filling you as you curled up, a dull sense of urgency inside you but you couldnât distinguish what for. It felt like you needed to cry even despite not feeling sad, but maybe as a way to just release this energy.
But you didnât do anything besides lay on your back, staring up at the ceiling as you sighed, trying to ignore the dull ache of your head, what a shit show. If you had known what your life would come to by just trying to be a good person, you wouldâve left him in that ditch. ----
It felt like your body was being dragged through the mud, through the fire and hell maybe even gitting shit on at this point, âThis is so stupid.â You mumbled, curled up in your hoodie as you hugged your knees into your chest in the back of Seokjinâs car.Â
âYouâre the one that fucked an alien,â Jimin snorted, twisting in his seat as he cocked a brow, âWhich, what possessed you to do that seriously? Your stupid little hentai fantasies?â He stared at you with a bizarre expression as you snorted weakly.Â
âYeah pretty much.âÂ
âFucking knew it,â Jimin collapsed back in his seat, âWe could get our assholes probed by aliens now because she couldnât keep her panties on at the sight of a slimy tentacle.â He raised his hands dramatically and you couldâve sworn you heard Seokjin try to keep from laughing at you both.Â
âTheyâll probe you with their tentacles too, apparently they make their own lube home made so theyâll slide it right in no problem.â If you had the energy you wouldâve died laughing at the way Jimin whipped around in his seat in horror.Â
âNo fucking way. You WILLINGLY let him do that to you?âÂ
You couldnât stop the weak laugh escaping you as you leaned your head against the window, âIâm a slut.â You shrugged before you lifted your head a little, âRight there! It should be in the field. I think it has some sort of cloaking shield or something.â Seokjin pulled off on the old winding back road which looked familiar enough.
He hadnât been going fast to begin with and you had already stopped twice and the two other fields had been empty so this one had to be it, and if it wasnât then it was safe to say you broken Jungkookâs heart right in two and he and his other space fuckboy brothers left Earth for good. Which you hoped not because you felt like you were in a weird limbo between life and death at the moment.Â
Stepping out of the car you paused as you heaved a breath, leaning against the car as you sighed, the energy feeling like it had been sucked straight out of your soul every passing minute. Jimin looked at you mildly concerned as you waved him off, slowly pushing yourself straight up as you wrapped your arms around yourself.Â
The comforts of your hoodie keep you warm as you ignore the dull ache in your chest, Seokjin and Jimin both kept close as you all looked like idiots wandering around in an empty field. The empty field however, upon stepping forward had suddenly blurred before the familiar sight of the ship came into view. Seokjin and Jimin were dumbfounded at the sight as they both stared.Â
You only trudged forward towards the door before you slammed your hand against the metal door, âWell? What are you both doing just standing there?â You asked with a furrowed brow.
âWell sorry I didnât fuck an alien the first chance I got.â Jimin fumbled out with a huff as he hurried over along with Seokjin.Â
The door had immediately been opened to a relieved looking Namjoon, his eyes briefly landing on Jimin and Seokjin warily as he spoke, âIâm glad you came back! Come on, hurry in.â He ushered you in, â...Iâm assuming these are your...friendsâŠ?âÂ
âBest friends, roommates, the same guys that also allowed your little space fuckboy to stay with us.â Jimin growled out as he crossed his arms, standing as a big brother you never asked for as Seokjin snorted.Â
âChill,â He shoved Jimin a little who only grumbled under his breath before he spoke, âIâm Seokjin and thatâs Jimin, weâre Y/nâs roommates weâre already uh...aware of what you guys are we just...we donât know whatâs going on, we just want Y/n to be okay.âÂ
Namjoon nodded slowly, still a little wary but it was to be expected, he said no more as he widened the latch for the three of you, âY/n left right at the beginning stage of their bond when itâs imperative that the newly bonded couple stay together and establish a stable connection. If not, it becomes unstable and drains the life force out of both individuals causing a wide variety of ailments and illnesses to take over. Itâs good you guys came back when you did, Jungkook is doing even worse sense he was the Si in the bond.âÂ
âWhat is she doing back here?â Your lips twitched a little at the snarl from Taehyung who had shot up from his seat at the table, his eyes glaring holes into you and honestly, if he could vaperize you into dust at the moment you were sure he probably would.Â
âHere to break the little probe ass connection your fuckboy put on her,â Jimin snapped back unappreciative at someone talking this way to you especially in the condition you were in right now.
Taehyungâs lip twitched as he shot out of his seat, âMy little brother may be naive but he had good intentions and she took advantage of his fragile state! He wasnât in any sort of headspace to do anything!â You only curled away from Taehyung with mixed feelings, you wouldnât necessarily describe Jungkookâs state of mind at the time, fragile as it was just horny.Â
Namjoon sighed as he looked at Seokjin before at you and then the two feuding men who were practically glaring into one another, âTaehyung, donât do anything irrational, Iâm going to get Jungkook.â Namjoon disappeared and it was quiet inside the ship as a tension took over the room.Â
You tried your best to ignore it as you slumped against the wall, listening to the whirling on the interior running. Not a minute later you heard a loud flutter of steps as you looked up, Jungkookâs hair had been ruffled and he had looked extraordinarily tired, his scales however were lit up a sky blue, his lips parted as if trying to figure out if you were real or not before he hurried to you.Â
His arms wrapping around you and a small whimper escaping him as his nose rubbed into your neck, your face pressed into his chest with a sigh of relief, the dull ache in your chest fading quickly as you basked in the warmth of Jungkookâs arms. You had hugged many people in your life before and sure it was nice, but you couldnât even describe the wash of comfort and love that radiated through your entire being at being curled up in this manâs arms.Â
Jungkookâs nose nudged at your neck a little and buried himself into your embrace as his fingers fiddled with the thick material of your hoodie, âJungkook,â Jungkook shuffled a little, his body practically wrapped around you as his eyes slowly looked up from his content figure to meet Namjoonâs gaze, âYou both should go lay down and begin to properly set your bond together, Iâm sure youâre both exhausted.âÂ
Jungkook nodded wordlessly, perhaps not trusting himself to speak as he began to lead you towards his pod, âWoah, wait hold on.â Jimin cut in only for a snarl like growl to escape Jungkook, tentacles suddenly shooting from his back protectively pulling towards the front of his body to create a barrier between you and any threat that might take you away from him.Â
âWoah holy fuck!â Jimin nearly screeched, holding his hands up and freaking out a little at seeing a killer glare on such an innocent face, âWe didnât come here for thisâŠ! What, what do you mean, set a bond? I donât want Y/n out of our sightâŠ!âÂ
Jungkookâs lip twitched in annoyance as he set his chin on your shoulder, his arms tightening around your waist and you could see the red glow of his scales slowly deepening further into a dark maroon, he did not look happy.Â
Namjoon put up a hand, offering a tense smile, âAll that entails is them being together and being close, they need to stabilize their bond. Once itâs set they can figure out whether they want to...bond further orâŠâ Namjoon didnât finish his sentence, is eyes warily lingering on the youngerâs expression which was sharp and annoyed, â...You get the idea, I would advise against stopping him, trying to separate them now when he just got her backâŠ.I canât guarantee Iâll keep you both alive.âÂ
Jimin and Seokjin shared a wary glance before stepping aside, Jungkookâs gaze broody as he watched them sharply as he trudged you both forward, his tentacles still out and floating behind him now as if ready to strike on contact. The tension didnât leave until you were back into his pod once more, the room having not been changed except for a lot more clutter accumulation- much like your own room.Â
You hadnât even had the chance to open your mouth before you were suddenly picking up, your legs wrapping around Jungkook as you squirmed, âJungkook!â You squeaked out, his hands gripping your ass tightly but his face kept nudging into your neck as he whined, the killer aura he had not seconds ago immediately disappearing, âDonât ever do that again,â You were nearly crushed when you were dropped onto the bed before Jungkook collapsed on top of you, âPlease.â Guilt nearly devoured your heart at the way Jungkook held back a sob, his voice pleading and cracked, âItâs not fair! You-! You canât just do this to me then leave. Never again.â You felt warm substance dripping onto your skin and your heart was pounding in your chest.Â
An innate need coursing through your veins to dry his tears as you did so, âIâm sorry! Iâm sorry okay?â You whispered out, your hands cupping his cheeks, that iridescent glow on his skin and his eyes watery and big, âIâm justâŠ! I was just scared, I didnât know what was going on and I just thought I needed time to think. I had no idea what the effects were and what would happen if I left. Iâm not going to leave okay? I wonât leave.âÂ
Jungkook only closed his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks and you couldnât help but watch in a melancholy awe at an almost glittery substance filling his tears, making the stains on his skin glisten and glitter under the dark lights of his room, Jungkook said no more, perhaps not trusting himself too and only curled himself further against your as your hands soothingly ran through his hair as his body melted into yours. No words were further spoken between you both as you curled against him once more, your nose burying in his hair with the innate need to comfort him.Â
Feelings were too intense and magnified, as if you could feel every speck of hurt and misery Jungkook had suffered without you and despite being cognitively aware you in any other case wouldnât be like this, you still were. You didnât understand what happened, or how it happened, but what you did know was that despite all of the uncertainty, Jungkook needed you.Â
You werenât sure how much time had passed, neither of you had talked for what seemed like hours, only staying close in one another's arms, and slow but surely, that unstable feeling in your chest was beginning to fade and was replaced by what you could only describe as a warm, bright thrum.
Both of you were awake, but Jungkookâs eyes looked far away, his face still laid against your chest as you tenderly stroked through his hair, âJungkook,â He didnât respond right away, shifting a little before those doe eyes looked up at you, his lips jutted into a soft pout that nearly broke your heart out of guilt, âWhat....whatâs going on? I donât understand anything.â Your fingers delicately traced his prominent cheekbones, his face immediately nuzzling into your hand as his eyes closed.Â
Jungkookâs lips trembled only a little as he mumbled, â...I...Iâm not sure...I told you before that in order for a bond to be created it has to be wanted between both parties involved,â His nose nudged your hand as you tenderly thumbed his cheek, âWh-which means...even if it wasnât a surface thought you still energetically reached out and initiated the bond making you the Fi and me the Si since I accepted without realizing.âÂ
His lips went pouty before he pressed his head back against your chest as you stared down at him mildly confused, perhaps realizing this he spoke further, âFi and Si are considered sacred opposites, in a bond both people take on one or the other, the initiator the Fi and the receiver the Si, it makes sense you didnât feel as much as I did, the Fi in the bond isnât affected nearly as heavily as the Si is because you were the one who created the bond.â
You still didnât quite understand other than this being a Yin and Yang equivalent with a dash of omegaverse on the side, but then again, if humans had descended from Orionianâs then the apple truly didnât fall too far from the tree.Â
âAnd...the Fi is whatâŠ? The more dominant one?â You quirked a brow, a smile threatening to tug on your lips as Jungkook looked up at you, an unfair pout of his face as he set his chin on your chest, leading you to believe there was some merit to your words.Â
âNot exactly, it just means you were the one who established the bond, making you the one who, in more primal words, the caretaker. With newly bonded couples, itâs imperative that you be together for the first few days to stabilize the bond. Si tends to be more....â He shifted a little, his scales becoming pink as he buried into your chest, â...Clingy...and Fi tends to facilitate and care for Si while the bond stabilizes.â
Your hand made its way back to his hair as you tenderly combed through the soft silky locks as Jungkookâs relaxed back against you, practically melting into your touch as you hummed, âAnd...if it isnât stabilized?âÂ
Jungkook shifted a little against you as he mumbled, â...Well, both people become....I donât know how to truly describe, if a bond isnât stabilized...it becomes difficult to distinguish your own feelings from your partners, and with the bond unstable it causes an emptiness to fill both which causes sadness and pain, but because feelings can be mutually felt, it magnifies those feelings tenfold...Until eventuallyâŠ.â Jungkook frowned as he shrugged a little timidly, âBoth go insane, or end up commiting suicide out of despair. Si feels it a lot more intensely then Fi though because of being the one who was tethered into the bond rather than creating it.â
OhâŠ
You said nothing, feeling even worse now knowing what had happened and what you could have possibly caused, not only this but for Jungkook to suffer through so much all because you couldnât just hear him out for less than five minutes, âDonât blame yourself,â Jungkook sat up a little to look at you earnestly, as if knowing exactly what you felt despite not saying anything, âYou donât know anything about Orionianâs, I...I shouldâve handled everything better then I didâŠâ His gaze lowered looking a little glassy as he sighed, âJust...please never do that again.â He collapsed back against you with a quiet mumble, âI was miserable.âÂ
âI wonât baby.â You ushered softly, pressing your lips into his hair as he basked in your love, the silence taking over once more as you relaxed back down against him, intending on letting yourself fall asleep again before you felt a low rumble in your stomach, before you sighed...Well he did say since you wereâŠ.Fi...that you were supposed to be a caretaker....?
âHey, Iâm starving...you want me to get us something to eat?â You sat up a little as Jungkook shifted beneath you with a whine, his cheeks puffing a little as he huffed, saying nothing but you had a suspicion that he was definitely hungry, âIâm getting us something to eat, what do you want babe?â You got out of bed making Jungkook scramble with another whine.Â
He immediately latched himself to you as you sighed, âThen weâre going together. Do you guys even have human food here?âÂ
âWe have plamatic barrettes.â Jungkook perked a little in excitement as you frowned.Â
âCan...Are...are they edible for humans?â You raised a brow as you opened the door, doing an awkward waddle as Jungkook back hugged you, happily nuzzling into your neck before he frowned.
âWell...umâŠâ He rubbed his head as you tutted, it wasnât that you werenât willing to try it but you were really craving some fries right now and whatever it was they ate, didnât sound even close to a potato.Â
âWe can try it later babe, I brought my wallet so we can go get something to eat, if Jimin and Seokjin havenât left itâll be like a two minute drive.â You shrugged as you both entered the common space.Â
âYou both arenât going anywhere.â Namjoon had been running around with Taehyung while Jimin and Seokjin were working frantically on...what looked like an engine box as the man turned around with a serious expression making you and Jungkook twist into concern, âThe Arbitrators are here on Earth, which means weâre leaving.âÂ
You didnât quite understand the gravity of the situation but...you had a feeling this wasnât an ideal situation.
#bts#bts fanfic#jungkook#jeon jungkook#jungkook x reader#jungkook x reader smut#jungkook x y/n#jungkook smut#alien!jungkook#bts imagine#jungkook scenario
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Crossing lines
General Kirigan/the darkling x reader
Summary: This was requested by my friend @vvsdiamond28 who also writes and has a really good kirigan x reader story up right now! The request was basically for a fic in which the reader is out wandering at night and runs into kirigan while heâs in the banya and then they get to talking and some other stuff before he admits to only trusting the reader and giving her his real name. This gets kinda steamy bc of the request and bc the story called for it lol but itâs not full smut bc i decided that it would be better to do that as a part 2 so that i could add some jealousy tension haha
a/n i think im back?? Ive been working on requests a lot and ive really enjoyed writing regularly again. A small side note, after rewatching revenge of the sith im kinda in the mood to try writing an anakin fic đ pls he was my OG fictional crush,, so either send help or a request for him or something, Anyways,, back to this fic--ahh i had fun writing it but i still feel awkward writing steamier stuff so be nice!!Â
--Â
Those that wander in the night, lost in uneasy thought--thereâs probably a lot that can be said about them. But I canât think of anything to be said about me. Nothing good comes from walking around a place full of powerful and tense people in the middle of the night. It wouldnât take much effort to interpret my actions as suspicious, and yet I continue forward. Iâm an idiot--just because I canât sleep doesnât mean I have to wander around campgrounds. My presence is barely tolerated here, I shouldnât try backstroking in waters I can barely tread.Â
But still, I walk, eyes more fixated on the open night sky than anything else. The moon is as full as an overflowing glass, the stars twinkling as if desperate to compete with a light it will never be able to duplicate. I sigh, pressing my lips together. Maybe the stars and I have more in common than I thought. Normally, that would be a good thing.Â
Letting out a weary breath, I continue forward, away from the relative safety of the main tents. Iâm still on the grounds, Iâm approaching the border where the tents of higher ranking officials are. That should make me more nervous, but if anything it almost eases me slightly.Â
General Kirigan is not the type to be friendly, and yet our interactions have always been laced with a touch of intimacy I canât quite explain. Weâve been alone together more and more frequently, and I think thatâs how I like him best. Itâs strange, but when weâre alone some of his sharpness dulls, leaving space for something I might consider humor or actual personality on anyone else. He probably speaks to many girls like that when theyâre alone together--a fact I have to fight to remind myself of--but itâs the closest thing to friendship I have here. Maybe itâs foolish to hold onto that, but I canât bring myself to release my grip on those sentiments. At least not yet, when the kind moments are still rare and fleeting and no line has been crossed.Â
The danger, however, comes from the prospect of not recognizing lines before theyâre crossed. Even now, as I walk aimlessly in the night, pacing in hopes of exhausting my thoughts, Iâm crossing lines in a much more literal way and even these are ill defined. I must be in new territory now, and even that I can only vaguely recognize because of the strangely humid scent that surrounds this area of the grounds.Â
Iâm near the banya. I didnât intend to wander here, but the thought of splashing water on my face is too tempting to pass up on. I move closer, finding a sense of peace in having some direction, even in a small way.Â
When the promise of water is only steps away, I begin to regret everything. Thereâs a figure in the bath. I freeze, ready to attempt to shrink away in hopes of disappearing before Iâm caught. This could easily turn extremely awkward even though I technically havenât done anything. Most people donât bathe at this hour. Who bathes this late at night?Â
I keep my eyes on the individual, trying to make out who they are and how aware they are of their surroundings in the dim light. Pale skin, dark hair--unbelievably attractive torso. My eyes linger there longer than they should. I force my gaze upwards, towards their face as if that can erase my ogling. Embarrassment leaves my face burning--Iâm not the âoglingâ type, and this person doesnât even know Iâm here. I keep my eyes on them as I step back, taking in unaware features as best I can in the dark.Â
I know them--I--Saints, itâs Kirigan.Â
Fantastic. Of course he has to be even more impossibly attractive while shirtless and wet. I turn my head upwards sharply, more desperate to not be caught than ever. I would never, ever recover from being caught. Whether heâd tease me or be angry with me, I donât know. I also donât know which option Iâd prefer.Â
I step back again, my gait wider due to my urgency. Snap. The sound of both a twig and my chance of a stealthy escape being shattered. I cringe, craning my neck to the left in a desperate attempt to make it clear that I wasnât watching him. I take another desperate step, ready to duck behind a nearby tree. Maybe he hasnât seen me--maybe heâs distracted and assumed that some kind of rabbit or something passed by. He may not actively dislike me, but Iâm not sure any semblance of favor he may have for me extends to this situation.
âY/n.â His tone reveals nothing but his level of certainty. Ignoring him will only make me seem guilty.Â
I pause, keeping my gaze off of him. âYes.â It wasnât really a question, and yet I still answer it like one. âI was--I couldnât sleep so I thought Iâd get some air, and I was walking kind of aimlessly and I ended up here and I didnât think anyone would be here.â Why do I feel like Iâm making this situation worse? âIâm sorry--Iâm gonna--Iâm going to go now.â This is the kind of embarrassing moment that will come back to me when Iâm trying to fall asleep at night. I know it.
âYou know the polite thing to do after intruding is to make eye contact.âÂ
I donât think my face has ever felt this warm before. At least he doesnât sound angry, but his voice doesnât reveal that much. I raise my gaze carefully, turning my head slowly. âI didnât mean,â I exhale slowly, âIt wasnât my intention to intrude.âÂ
He straightens slightly at my words, exposing more of his chest. I stay still, eyes trained on his to avoid an accidental lapse. âYou could make it up to me by offering conversation.â Kiriganâs tone is deliberate, his words measured and calm. I donât speak, feeling like Iâm being presented a test I donât understand, but most of our conversations leave me feeling like that. âOnly if youâre comfortable.âÂ
And just like that, Iâm backed into a corner. A challenge. To deny him now would be to expose the effect he has on me. My chin raises a fraction of an inch as I take in that assured half-smirk. âWhy wouldnât I be comfortable?âÂ
Kirigan arches a dark brow, assessing my response. âThen sit,â his voice has not changed, âYou want air and I want company.âÂ
I donât think anyone that looks as good as he does shirtless has ever had trouble finding company, especially with the smooth way he speaks. Despite this, I step forward to accept his challenge without calling him out on his coyness. Each step is the crossing of another invisible line until Iâm near the waterâs edge. I make sure to keep my nightgown at a respectable length as I sit down.Â
I make a point of extending my legs towards the water while leaning back so that I canât be easily accused of being a coward. âI feel the need to warn you that I might not make particularly interesting company.â
He angles his head to the side slightly, drawing attention to his jawline and neck. I force my stare to focus on the water. âIâve never found you uninteresting.âÂ
Thereâs something resigned in the way he says this. On instinct, I look up, taking in the slight softening of his features. The release of his usual sternness only adds to his beauty, a fact that Iâm already resenting.Â
âYou may be the only one.â Itâs not meant to be a deprecating comment, but Iâm not sure my partial laugh softens my bitterness. I hope it does--Iâd rather his interest than the interest of my entire unit.Â
Kirigan shifts forward, the water moving with him. âDo you think that any coldness youâre experiencing has to do with you?âÂ
The question has me drawing my eyebrows together. What else could it be? I shrug, âIâve considered it.âÂ
He nods once, eyes hardening slightly. âDo you always have trouble sleeping?âÂ
The personalness of the question shouldnât surprise me as much as it does. Kirigan seems to only understand boundaries when heâs the one setting them. âNot really.â A partial lie--this time Iâm glad I canât quite bring myself to look at him. âItâs not uncommon for me, but itâs not something I deal with every night.âÂ
I risk shifting my eyeline when I hear the sound of water moving. Kiriganâs now resting an arm on the rim of the pool, wet skin dangerously close to my ankle and lower calf. âItâs not always easy,â his voice is low now, âBeing alone with your thoughts.âÂ
Thatâs not the kind of reply Iâd expect from him. I blink twice before turning to study his expression. I donât think Iâve ever seen him seem so tired--so weary and human and in need of something. The line between his eyebrows and the far off quality of his eyes leave me with the strong desire to give whatever it is he needs to him. The urge to reach out, to touch him in hopes of breaking him free from his odd trance leaves my stomach knotted. That line is too clear to cross so recklessly.
I need to chase away the serious atmosphere heâs created. âIs that why you bathe so late at night?â I let myself smile, âTo avoid thoughts?âÂ
âI like the peace of it.â Something akin to amusement touches his words. âAnd for the record, little dove,â the nickname is pointed and earns him an eyeroll, âThe warm water doesnât exactly chase away thoughts so much as encourages others.â He pauses. âYou understand, considering you can barely look at me.â
This is the most embarrassing thing to have ever happened. The suggestive jilt to his words has to be intentional. Damn him. I turn my head, forcing myself to meet his gaze. âI can look at you just fine.âÂ
âAnd if I were a Heartrender and could hear your heartbeat your pulse would be normal?â The question is teasing, a small smile pulling at his lips.Â
The warmth in my face increases, spreading down my neck. Kiriganâs expression remains smug. âYouâre not as funny as you think you are.âÂ
âNo?â He leans forward, angling his head so close to me I can faintly feel the warmth of his breath on my lower calf. âI find myself amusing.âÂ
At least being around him like this is getting easier. I open my mouth, ready to provide some sarcastic comment I havenât thought out yet. My mouth clamps shut on instinct when I feel his touch on my ankle. The faint contact quickly grows, his fingers brushing up my ankle and calf, leaving drops of cool water across my skin.
âWhat are you doing?â Thatâs a--a fair question, right? Iâm not sure, rational thought slipping from me more and more with each passing second.Â
âNothing, really,â his reply is quick. âNervous?âÂ
There is no way he doesnât know what heâs doing. I roll my eyes, fighting against my instinctual fluster. âNo,â a full lie, âYouâre just getting me wet.âÂ
âBarely.â When heâs not busy being brooding heâs not much better than an irritating child. He retracts his hand slowly, fingers grazing my skin slowly as he submerges his hand beneath the water. The loss of contact should feel like a victory. It doesnât. âY/n,â he shifts closer, back straightening.
Thereâs an odd seriousness to his demeanor that almost leaves me reeling. âYes?âÂ
He beckons me forward. I hesitate, but comply, letting myself shift closer to the waterâs edge. Kirganâs lips part, but no words leave him before he moves his arm, purposefully splashing water over my thighs and bottom of my nightgown. I let out an instinctively annoyed sound. âThat is getting you wet.âÂ
âKirigan!â My tone is as menacing as I can make it, but he continues to grin. Thereâs such a lightness to the look I almost forget to be annoyed. Almost. âI should tell the entire Second Army how much of a child you are.âÂ
My threat does nothing, his smile softening without fading. âThey fear me too much for your stories to make a difference.â He says this flatly. âAll of them except you.âÂ
I donât know if Iâm supposed to make something of that comment. A brief moment passes in which I think his eyes come close to softening. Maybe thatâs a side effect of seeing the world as you want. Wait...what do I want? Him? No, no, I canât.Â
Okay, heâs objectively attractive and sometimes I think I may see more depth in him than he wants to be capable of. But that doesnât mean Iâm allowed to want anything with him. Even if he was trustworthy enough for me to be with him in any capacity...even casually, it could never happen. Nothing good could come from having relations with the highest ranked general and I doubt heâd ever want me like that. He likes to fluster people and Iâm an easy target. I just accept it because being some level of entertainment to him is better than being nothing to everyone.Â
âI donât think thereâs much point in fear.â It feels like a fair answer. The fairest answer I can manage, anyways.Â
He sighs, the sound heavy. His hand stretches forward cautiously. I watch him and make no attempt to stop him from touching my lower calf. His fingers trace absentmindedly across the skin. âOf course youâd think that.âÂ
Again, I donât know what to make of his words. Or his actions. He couldnât find anything wrong with me just slightly adjusting my position. Itâd be a polite way to remind us both of the natural order of things. But then again, someone like him is allowed to be mad about anything. And Iâm not sure I want to remind us of our place.Â
Actually, Iâm completely sure that I want the opposite of that. But admitting that to myself is enough of a risk. Iâve already crossed thousands of tiny lines and what I want will require us to cross a thousand more.Â
âIâm a little surprised youâre not reminding me how foolish a notion like that can be.âÂ
He lets out a tiny breath as he shifts even closer to me. âMaybe Iâm enjoying your foolishness.âÂ
âIâm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or the opposite.âÂ
The slightest hint of a smile is visible to me beneath the moonâs glow. Thereâs something about darkness that adds beauty to things. I wait for him to reply, but instead of speaking his hand moves further up my leg. I struggle to hide my reaction to his long fingers trailing up my skin.
Heâs touched me before, sure. Tiny moments in which heâd push a strand of hair out of my face or wipe at a bit of dirt on my cheekbone. More recently, he had gripped my hip firmly to guide me through a crowd of soldiers. He had been in a hurry, stealing me from a conversation with the only member of my unit thatâs been somewhat friendly to me. It wasnât serious--he had just been rushing me because he only had a minute between meetings and apparently he had too long of a day to not take a moment to speak with me.Â
âAre you alright, Dovey?â Normally, the nickname and all of its variations earns him an eyeroll. But everything is a lot less humorous with his hand half up my lower leg, leaving a trail of cool water wherever he touches.Â
His fingers press more firmly into my skin. âYes, Iâm fine--itâs just late.âÂ
âHmâŠâ Kirigan breathes before tilting his head slightly. âYouâre warm.â I stay silent as his hand shifts slightly. âPerhaps too warm.âÂ
If Iâm hot that has absolutely nothing to do with fever. âIâm fine, General, I promise.âÂ
âCome closer,â he says, âItâll take me no time to check.âÂ
...A little too convenient. My nightgown is still embarrassingly damp from the last time I eased tonight. âPlease tell me you donât find me that naive.âÂ
âNaive? No.â He lifts his hand slightly. âWarm? Yes.â I still donât trust him. âIâm not going to do anything. I promise.âÂ
His eyes are dark and the limited lighting of the moon doesnât offer me much in my analysis, but what I can see makes him seem genuine. âWhy do I feel like thatâs not the first time youâve had to say that?â Despite my comment, I move towards him.Â
The back of Kiriganâs palm is pressed to my forehead for less than a second. He brushes his hand down the side of my temple, rotating his wrist so that his fingertips can touch my cheek. His hand then continues to move down my jawline and then my neck...and then finally trails down my collarbone. I bite my tongue to avoid exhaling audibly at the contact.Â
âWarm,â he concludes with a tsk, and yet he doesnât withdraw his hand. âThough that could just have to do with the climate.â His thumb slips beneath the sleeve of my nightgown. âPerhaps you could benefit from joining me.âÂ
I bite my tongue to avoid letting out a surprised, embarrassingly enthusiastic squeak. I donât know whatâs gotten into him...maybe itâs the night air and the prospect of being fully alone. I should be strong enough to break whatever spell heâs starting to place on me. But Iâm not. Iâm really, really not.Â
He pulls on the sleeve of my nightgown slightly. âIâmâŠâÂ
âUnless youâre nervous?â Another damn challenge. To shy away from this would be to expose myself. He tugs on the sleeve a little more assuredly, exposing my shoulder to the humid night. âDo I make you nervous?âÂ
His voice comes out a shallow rasp. I feel it straight in my core. â...Not more than you should.âÂ
âMore than I should?âÂ
Ugh--too honest. I let myself get distracted. It shouldnât be too difficult to explain what I meant. He knows heâs feared. He wants to be feared. âIâm sure weâre both aware that there are a fair amount of cautionary tales revolving around you.âÂ
His hand falls next to my lap. Oh? I didnât expect to miss the contact between us so much. His expression seems to have fallen slightly as well. Was it my response to his question? It felt fair and straightforward without being too blunt. âAnd you believe every cautionary tale you hear?âÂ
Thereâs something stiff about the way he asks the question. His moodiness is making me miss his touchiness even more. At least then I didnât have to feel like I made a mistake. Did I say something wrong? âShould I?â
âIt depends on whether or not you plan on being brave.âÂ
âI told you...I donât see much point in fear.âÂ
âAnd yet youâre still there.â A bit of humor returns to his voice. âWhy is that?âÂ
Rolling my eyes, I shift forward, letting my legs dip into the water. This is as far as I should let this go. Iâve already lost too much more control. âBetter?â Heâs strangely tense again, a hint of something bitter playing at the smug look he tries for. âYou alright?â
âOf course youâd ask me that.â He says this with a tired sigh. âYou can never make things easy.âÂ
âI donât understand.âÂ
He shifts backwards slightly. I can feel the distance between us like Iâd feel a pebble in my shoe. âDo you believe all the stories about me?âÂ
Is he still bothered by that? âI didnât mean it as literally as youâre taking it. All I meant is that people are intimidated by you, but thatâs not a bad thing. Itâs the way things have to be, youâre the only Shadow Summoner in existence and the army needs you to be intimidating so that they can act on your guidance.â
âThe way things have to be,â he echoes, his voice strangely weighted. âThereâs a specific kind of loneliness that comes with being feared by everyone.âÂ
Oh--I donât know what I expected, but it wasnât that. I donât think Iâve ever seen him feel defeated like that. I reach for his hand without thinking, pulling his fingers towards my lap. âI donât--Iâm not scared of you.â Itâs a weak attempt to comfort him, but itâs the only one I can think of. âThat probably doesnât mean anything, but I--âÂ
His hand turns in my lap, squeezing the exposed part of my thigh. âIt means something.â Kiriganâs voice has hardened in a different way. âYouâre the only person Iâm certain of.âÂ
Everything in me seems to tighten at that. At the implication of something so personal from someone so closed off. âKirigan, you donât have to be as alone as you feel. You talk to me all the time and you do so in a way that makes it easy to forget the cautionary tales.â His hand moves further up my thigh. I fight as I try to remember our usual dynamic. âYouâre the only one that talks to me like that.âÂ
âHave you ever considered that maybe the others refuse to take to you because of the favor Iâve shown you? The instinct to stay away from me is strong enough to extend to those around me.â Kiriganâs hand moves higher up my thigh. âTo be near me is to involve solitude.âÂ
âI donât care.â The answer leaves me too quickly. âBeing near you is worth it.âÂ
He leans closer before resting his chin on my knee with no hesitation. âCareful, you donât understand the line you tread.â Kirigan places his hand more firmly between my thighs. âOr perhaps you do...perhaps you know what you want to cross.âÂ
This time I canât help the airy sigh that leaves me. Kirigan pushes against my thigh slightly, separating my legs. I feel his breath on my inner thigh before I know whatâs going on. I canât move, I canât think, I canât even breathe. That inability to do anything but feel my heart pound against my chest only worsens as I feel his lips press into the inside of my thigh. His lips trail up my skin before his teeth gently sink into the top of my thigh.Â
âIs the line you want to cross?â He breathes the question so softly I feel like Iâm being coddled. Everything in me feels too hot to think of any kind of coherent response. Kirigan uses his free hand to pull the fabric of my nightgown as high up my thighs as he can from his position below me. âOr maybe this is the line you want to cross?â Kirigan pulls me forward so suddenly I let out a tiny gasp. Iâm not fully on the edge of the banya. âOr perhaps this one?â He kisses the skin of my inner thigh gently. Each time I exhale too loudly, his teeth graze my skin. He gets harsher with each passing second. âLay down.âÂ
My body listens to him on instinct. How is this happening? How am I this powerless to fight against something thatâs so clearly wrong? The sound of water shifting causes my entire body to tense. Heâs pulled himself out of the water. Kirigan moves above me instantly, water dripping from his toned chest and dark hair and onto my still damp nightgown.Â
Before I can speak, heâs on me completely, his lips pressing against my jaw. He kisses down my neck, his teeth grazing against my skin sporadically. He pulls away from me by tracing his tongue across my collar bone. I let out something dangerously close to a moan. âSuch pretty, little sounds.âÂ
âKirigan--âÂ
âThe only name I want you to hear from your lips is the only name that Iâve not given myself. The only name that holds meaning to me.âÂ
His lips graze where my skin meets the hem of my now soaked through nightgown. Iâm not sure the poor lighting is offering me enough coverage now. Thereâs no way the thin fabric leaves much to the imagination while being this wet. He kisses up my chest and neck until his lips reach the shell of my ear.Â
âAleksander.â The name is grace in the form of a breath so soft itâs more like Iâm feeling the name than actually hearing it.Â
He presses his lips against the spot on my neck directly beneath my ear. I exhale into the contact. âAleksander.â As I test his true name on my tongue, his teeth dig into my skin much more harshly than before.Â
I let out a partial squeak at the sudden shift in pace as his hands grip my waist. âSay it again. Say my name again.â
He traces his tongue gingerly over the skin he just aggravated with his teeth before I can speak. The soothing sensation is so much I can barely find my voice. âAleksander.âÂ
His hand bunches the bottom of my nightgown, raising the fabric to my hips. â...Say it just like that.â Kirganâs rough hand slips between the bone of my hip and the fabric of my hip. âLike Iâm the only one that knows you like this.â
âAleksander.â I breathe as he traces invisible patterns into my skin with his lips. âAleksander.â Each use of his name earns me extra attention--a stronger hold on my hip, a more adamant nip at the base of my neck. I feel my need for him so heavily I swear itâs leaked into my bones. âAleksander.â
When he pulls away, I fight the urge to whine. The night is still humid, but with the absence of his touch I feel like Iâm shivering. He regards me silently for a long moment before shifting his weight again. I feel my heart stall in my chest as his hand softly brushes a strand of hair out of my face. He lets his hand linger there, at the apple of my cheek. The entire world seems to stall as he leans down, his hand cupping the side of my face as his mouth inches closer to mine.Â
âI can feel the fluttering of your heart.âÂ
Any poor defense dies in my throat as his lips meet mine. He gives me no time to think about whatâs happening as he presses into me even harder. Kirigan holds my face as his teeth graze against my bottom lip. My mouth opens slightly in surprise, giving him the opportunity he needs to slip his tongue into my mouth. His tongue slowly brushes against mine, coaxing me into total, delirious, compliance. When he starts to pull away, I react, my hands flying forward to grab his hair. He lets me get away with tugging him towards me, prolonging the kiss as he bites my bottom lip.Â
One of his hands leaves my face and travels up the hands holding onto his hair. He pulls me off of him easily, pinning both of my wrists above my head with one hand. âEasy,â Kirigan warns, âYouâve been such a good girl, letâs not ruin it before weâve started.âÂ
A tiny sigh leaves me. I can feel the pride he takes in that as his hand trails further down my body. His fingers ghost along the hem of my underwear teasingly.Â
âIs someone there?â Iâve never damned the voice of a stranger more.Â
Panic and dread roll in my stomach. Iâm going to get caught like this, with my nightgown bunched at my hips beneath the General Kirigan. An unclothed, wet, General Kirigan. âIâm bathing.âÂ
Okay...good...Aleksander spoke. Anyone with common sense would run at the thought of invading on Kirganâs privacy. Itâs a good thing that the soldier had the sense to linger behind a thicket of bushes. âPardon General, but thereâs been a crucial development. A new strategy should be thought of as soon as possible.âÂ
No. No. The thought of losing contact so entirely, of having a moment that should have never happened be ripped from me before itâs even really happened is overwhelming. I feel my lips pull into a pout. Kiriganâs hand adjusts on me, his thumb pressing teasingly over where Iâm neediest. I bite my tongue to avoid making an inappropriate noise.Â
âFive minutes--Iâll be in the strategy tent in five minutes.âÂ
âIâll tell the others, General.â
Great. I hear the stranger disappear, his feet crushing twigs and grass as he leaves us. Aleksanderâs attention returns to me quickly. Disappointment swells in my chest as I take in the solemn look that crosses his features. His hand moves to my chin quickly before pulling me into another deep kiss. Itâs too short lived.Â
âI have to go.âÂ
Frowning, I lift my hand to trace my fingers up his arm. Itâs softer than I should allow myself to be, but it doesnât really matter anymore. Not when this is probably never going to happen again. âDo you?â I mumble to myself, half joking.
He sighs once, his thumb brushing against my cheek. âNo pouting.âÂ
Now that whatever little bubble we were in has popped, Iâm capable of normal feelings. Including shame. âI am n--âÂ
âEasy, little dove, Iâll remember all of this when I find you again.âÂ
This...this is going to happen again? âYouâre going to find me?âÂ
âI havenât yet heard your voice crack on my name as I undo you.â He punctuates the promise with a kiss to my jaw. âAgain.â Another kiss. âAnd again.â Another brush of his lips as he finally pulls away. âAnd again.âÂ
My breath catches itself in my throat as he moves off of me entirely. Damn whatever change in the war thatâs pulled him away from me so suddenly. I sit up as he stands. Iâm not sure where to look now that heâs not in close enough proximity to cloud my thoughts. I should leave as he dresses, but I canât quite bring myself to. It doesnât feel safe, not when the man that interrupted us could reappear at any moment. Not when I want to hold onto his presence like this as long as possible.Â
 He squeezes my shoulder warmly as he passes before bending down to press one more kiss next to where his hand is.Â
âSoon,â he promises again.Â
--
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A Savior
Pairing(s): Reader x Beelzebub
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Warnings: attempted assault, some harsh language
The underworld, or what they liked to call the âDevildomâ was rarely silent. It seemed to be one of the busiest places youâve ever had the opportunity to live in; the constant rush of demons walking by, sometimes in pairs and sometimes alone, the lights from demon-owned stores and restaurants, the loud talking of conversations. Not only did it feel natural, but it felt welcoming. It felt comfortable.Â
It was a whole different story at night however.Â
The demons that would walk by had their hoods up, they had their hands stuffed into their pockets that filled your mind with mystery on what they could be clutching in their hands. And the conversations between them were more hushed. Almost nonexistent. The normally bright and lit city was now dimmed; it seemed almost⊠alarming.Â
It was quiet now, and that was something you found unsettling.
You should have felt safe.
But you didnât.
Instead, you felt alone and shaky. You had never seen the Devildom this way. The chill of the night time breeze making you feel completely naked, despite the layers of clothes you wore over your RAD uniform. Silently you thanked Asmodeus for boisterously wrapping you in a light pink scarf this morning. He insisted that its color would match your rosy cheeks. Unsurprisingly, Asmoâs perfume was still gripped to the scarf like a stain. Its light and warm fabric did wonders to keep you from completely panicking as you clutched to it for dear life.
The shadows of the large buildings cast imaginary images in your mind. They seemed to claw at the night sky, so that when you looked up, you could barely see the faint light of the stars. Each street lamp seemed dimmer and dimmer the further you walked, grappling you down a path of darkness.Â
Suddenly, the scurrying of a small creature jumped from the shadows and onto the street, where it ran ballistically in circles before jolting down the road that you were the only one occupying. You had let out an audible screech at the intrusion of silence, feeling your heart race a pounding rate.Â
âGoddamnitâŠâ you muttered in a hushed tone, watching the little creature squeak back into the darkness. That thing almost gave you a heart attack. You couldnât see a thing. You couldnât hear a thing. Were you even going the right way? You thought the path home was simple and easy enough- you had the Devildom roads engraved into your memory from the months youâve spent here. It was like looking at the back of your hand. So why were you hesitating now?
You walked around the corner, the tippy top of the RAD building was now officially out of your point of view. Maybe by some luck from God, youâd run into Solomon, who decided that this night would be one of the nights he was staying late from school to research more in the library too. Or maybe Simeon would appear from a late night stroll and wisk you back to the House of Lamentation. Maybe if you turned back now Diavolo would still be at the RAD building working on some wretched paperwork he always liked to complain about. Maybe out of the kindness of his heart, heâd walk you home. Heâd make sure youâd be safe.
You lightly scoffed. Why the hell would the literal Prince of the Devildom take out the time of his night to help walk some human home?
No, you could do this. One step at a time, each step getting you closer to the building that you had got to call home, filled with the comfort of each brother. A small smile pulled on your face as you recalled the faces of the seven demons. Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Belphie⊠and Beel. The thought of them gave you a slight moment to breathe normally again.Â
Had you been breathing so heavily this entire time?
No, you told yourself, itâll be okay. You wanted them to know that you could handle yourself out here. That they didnât have to constantly baby you. That the Devildom wasnât as bad as it was portrayed in stories and books. Despite the warnings that Lucifer had given you about other demons when you first arrived here, spending time with such wonderful demons such as the brothers, may have brought your guard down. It may have accidentally caused you to see all demons in a good light.
And that naivety allowed for your mind to wander far enough as to not have heard the several footsteps that dragged close behind you.
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Mammon tapped a finger against the armchair, shifting his sitting position again for the fiftieth time in the last twenty minutes. He must have looked like a madman to the normal person, his head swivelling to the door and to then the hallway and then behind him again and again. He was waiting for something to happen; or to put it more frankly he was waiting for you. Any minute now you would bound through the front door with a big grin on your face, and then Mammonâs ass would be saved from getting into trouble. Lucifer wouldnât find out that he let you walk home alone and then proceed to hang him from his feet off of the banister for the poor choices heâs made.
Or⊠that was what he kept telling himself.
Instantly, a shadow of shame fell across the white-haired demonâs face. He couldnât believe he was more worried about getting into trouble than making sure your life wasnât in danger. Was he really this selfish? This greedy?
During breakfast time he had pulled you off to the side, begging for you to take his place in searching for the required books on the next project he had due. Mammon had always hated scoping through a barrage of books at the library. It was nauseating and boring; and he had no interest in finding the correct book titles and carding through said books just for a measly literature project.Â
No. Instead what interested him was the underground gambling ring that he had heard of. The rumors danced through the school for weeks now, and with the many connections Mammon had made over the years, he knew this was a chance for him to make potential easy bank. So the plan was simple; he would get you to do the after school research for him, while he ditched his last classes of school in exchange for going gambling. The difficult part wasnât the ditching- since Mammon was practically a pro at that- but the fact that he needed to actually persuade you in agreeing to his stupid idea. But even now, you continued to surprise him. Despite knowing how excruciatingly long it could take, and besides the fact that it wasnât your burden to carry, you still accepted.Â
Mammon felt like crying.
Despite the hundreds of calls Mammon sent to your phone, you didnât pick up once.
Itâs been hours now and he still hasnât heard from you.
Lucifer was going to murder him.
Lucifer was going to find out that he made you walk alone at night and he was going to rip his head off of his body and stake it right on the-
âMammon?â
âEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!â Mammon screamed, throwing his body against the chair with so much force he almost knocked the entire thing over. He didnât even realize Asmo had made his way into the main room so silently. âI DIDNâT DO ANYTHING I SWEAR!â
Asmodeus raised an eyebrow, his hands sassily thrown on his hips as he stared at Mammon with familiar disinterest. His younger brother was wearing his pink night robe, another reminder to Mammon that it was already so late. âLike Iâd believe that, but this isnât about you. Iâm looking for Y/N~ Have you seen her?âÂ
The question was an innocent one, but almost automatically Mammon felt his stomach bubble with poison. He suddenly felt sick and queasy, steadying himself on the arms of the chair. âNoâŠ.â The muscles in Mammonâs shoulders involuntarily flinched. Mammon should have said more, but it was like his body was rejecting it. Like if he didnât admit out loud that Y/N hasnât come home yet, it wouldnât be a reality.Â
Now, Asmodeus wasnât dull. It was his pride and ability to understand feelings and communication that allowed him to read the room like an Olympic, and yet in this instance it wouldnât take a philosopher to recognize something was very wrong. âMammon, werenât you with her?â He questioned lightly, eyebrows twitching in annoyance. âI havenât seen my darling all day, which is already weird since she was supposed to come to my room tonight and help me apply a new face mask. Itâs almost 12:30!!â he huffed, inching closer and closer to Mammonâs face as the latter continuously attempted to sink further back into the seat. Hopefully the chair would swallow Mammon whole and save him from this living nightmare.
Mammon shrugged his shoulders as a wordless I donât know, which only seemed to agitate Asmo more. Quickly he realized that Asmodeus needed to hear actual words.
âOh boy⊠is it hot in here? Because Iâm sweating buckets ehehe..â Mammon laughed humorlessly, reaching up to fan the collar of his shirt in order to get air flowing over his sweat ridden neck.
âNo, I thouft if wash ashually prettie chillie thoday.â
This time, it wasnât Asmoâs high pitched and whiny voice to respond.Â
It was a deep and slow rumbling voice, and way more unclear due to the fact that it seemed like said demon had his mouth full of food. A preoccupied Beelzebub was standing over Asmodeus, his giant shadow casted over the lust demon. His arms were full with a variety of different foods he no doubt snatched from the kitchen on the way back to his room for a midnight snack. He cradled the food in his arms like they were his children, ready for him to gobble up as soon as he probably got back to his room. Actually, Mammon was shocked that there was any food left for Beel to even take back to his room, let alone the fact that the ginger demon was standing here in the main hall trying to butt into their business. Usually Beel was uninterested in idle chat that the rest of his brothers were involved in. Banter and arguments were of no interest to Beelzebub.Â
And yet for some reason, Beel found interest in the conversation that Mammon and Asmo were having.
âI actually havenât seen Y/N at all today either. Sheâs not in her roomâ Beel muttered, slowly taking another giant bite from a rather large sandwich. His eyes were trained down on the floor, clearly bothered by the conclusion that left his lips.Â
There it was. That was the reason Beelzebub inserted himself into the conversation.Â
Because of Y/N.
Mammon felt another train of guilt ram into his chest, and he clutched the area above his heart as if it could stop it from bursting. He knew how much Y/N means to Beel. He knew from the many late night talks Mammon and Beel had; how the ginger would once confess to Mammon that he may have liked her more than normal. That he was confused on why her smiles made him feel lightheaded, and that her laughter made her almost ten times prettier than she already was. Mammon had simply brushed Beel off as a lunatic at that time. Beel was a demon, and Y/N was a human. Beel was simply delusional.
But Mammon had watched the two interact from that moment on. All the baking Y/N had done for Beel, when they were the first two to fall asleep leaning on each other after movie night, how Beel made sure to split his food portions with her, how they both pulled away like lightning shocked them when their hands accidentally touch, how he purposefully requested foods that he knew were her favorites. He realized it wasnât just a fleeting thing that Beelzebub felt. His closed up and simple-minded younger brother truly and deeply admired Y/N.Â
Mammon felt like an awful older brother in that moment.Â
âSee?!â Asmodeus gestured to Beel with open arms. âEven Beel hasnât seen her. What is going on?â
Mammon couldnât even lift his head to look into the eyes of his worried little brothers. The hurt on their faces would cause him to burst. Mammon concluded he had to be one the unluckiest demon in the world.
Before he could answer, someone yet again spoke up. Another familiar face; and one that Mammon had been dreading.
âI thought Iâd find you all here. What is all the ruckus about?â
Nope. He spoke too soon. He was the unluckiest demon in the world.
Mammon swallowed his saliva thickly, his throat clogging up almost instantly, making his whole body freeze as if all his blood was turned into ice. He wasnât the only one; Asmo and Beel had both tensed up at the mere sound of the voice.
Lucifer stood there, his arms crossed against his chest. He was probably waiting for the situation to be explained. He was probably waiting to hear how Mammon had screwed something up this time. How Mammon had managed to cause them trouble yet again. âMammon thisâ and âMammon thatâ. The guilt was written all over his face. They might as well handcuff him and throw him in a prison cell to rot.
Maybe thatâs what he deserves.
Unlike the other two, Mammon raised his head slowly to get a look at Lucifer. There were dark undereye circles formed under his striking red eyes, and it was clear Lucifer needed some sleep from the tireless work he probably had today. His eyes looked different.
They looked exhausted. They looked dead. Perhaps they were.
âLucifer! We havenât seen Y/N all day, so we were just asking Mammon where she was! I mean, sheâs not in her room, sheâs not picking up her phone, sheâs not anywhere!â Asmodeus hurriedly explained, brushing out a stray piece of hair that had fallen in front of his perfect face.
Beel nodded in agreement, turning towards Lucifer to give him his full attention.
But even with all their eyes now trained on Lucifer, the demon of pride gave none of them his attention; only Mammon. His eyes were narrowed down and zoned in on the cowering man. All color had left Mammonâs face as he tried to stop himself from shaking at the potential news he needed to share to the rest of his brothers- and for the punishment that would be coming as a result.
âWell? Where is she Mammon?â Lucifer demanded, tapping a finger. âDidnât she walk home with you today?â
The white-haired demon may not be the brightest tool in the shed; but he knew when to admit guilt. He knew that with every second wasted, Y/N was still out there on the streets of literal hell walking home alone. He couldnât worry about the punishment he may face because of his stupid mistake; her safety should have come first.
He forced himself to speak. His throat made a strange noise when he swallowed.
âI-I⊠I donât know,â he said softly. His shoulders were tensed up and his head was dropped forward. As if he was ashamed. âI didnât walk home with her today⊠She stayed late doing research at the academy while I went home.â
Luciferâs eye twitched involuntarily, and his nails suddenly dug into his own arms harshly. âYou WHAT?â he yelled, his expression differing from Asmodeus and Beelzebubâs expression.Â
Asmoâs eyes widened tenfold, and his mouth hung agape. âSheâs walking home alone?! Around Devildom all willy nilly?!â he screeched, panic rushing through his veins at an alarming speed. While Asmoâs panicked expression was just as frightening to Mammon, Luciferâs anger was far worse. He could see all kinds of emotions in Lucifer's face. The wrinkle of anger across his forehead, the fear, wrath, and disappointment portrayed in his eyes.Â
âLet me get this straight Mammon, she is still out there at 12:30 am in the middle of the Devildom because you decided that you werenât going to make sure sheâs fine, even though that was the job assigned to you. She could be killed! We havenât got a hold of her yet, and you are just sitting here WAITING?â Luciferâs voice was sharp and cold, hitting the nail on every point. Even through his cracked exterior, Mammon could tell Lucifer was panicking.
âWhen was the last time anyone saw her??â Lucifer demanded, quickly zeroing in on Asmodeus. He probably didnât want to look at Mammonâs guilt-ridden face anymore. And Mammon couldnât blame him.
Asmodeusâs eyebrows shot up. âDonât look at me! I havenât seen her for hours Lucifer!â his light eyes filled to the brim with tears, and his voice on the verge of shaking.
âLucifer,â Mammon began, his bottom lip trembling. He felt sick. âI- I know I shouldâve gone to you straight away but I didnât mean to-â
âStop talking Mammon. We will discuss this later,â Lucifer spat, still not looking him in the eye. âAsmodeus, go find Leviathan and tell him to try and track down where Y/Nâs phone may be. Wake up Satan and Belphegor. They will be the search party.â
Almost immediately Asmodeus rushed out of the room, leaving Lucifer to deal with the other two.
âBeel, I need you to stay here in case she comes back. If she does we-â Lucifer paused his command, scanning the room at an alarming speed. âBeel?â
The room was empty; all that was left was the remains of leftover food disregarded on the floor of the main hall. They hadnât seen him leave.
All they heard was the front door slam shut.
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Beel was always more of the quiet type.Â
His brothers were brash and uncooperative; Mammon would get into trouble, and then Lucifer would begrudgingly step in to fix it, and then Satan or Asmo would poke fun at him, causing him to bite back, all the while Leviathan and Belphegor locked themselves up in their rooms doing their own activities. Itâs all in a day of the life. And he really loved them for it.
Despite growing up in an environment with loud and dysfunctional people, it wasnât a necessity to try and gain attention to himself. In fact, he couldnât care less. He was content with sitting there watching everyone else interact. Usually the only things on his mind were exercising, spending time with his family, and food.
Ah yes, food.Â
Both a curse and a blessing.Â
As the avatar of gluttony, Beelzebub was given an eternal and everlasting greed for food. Like a continuous blackhole, his body disintegrated food as soon as it entered his stomach, leaving him to wish there was more. His stomach could never be satisfied or quenched, nor can his hunger ever be fulfilled.Â
In its very essence; gluttony.
As much as his stomach has caused problems in the past- like Beel eating the entirety of the kitchen in one sitting, leaving none for his brothers- it also allowed Beel to pass the time and do something. It was like a comfort being able to chew on the foods he found delicious. Especially back when he didnât have Belphegor to talk to. When he didnât have Belphegor to spend time with.
He remembers laying in bed at night, staring blankly at his twinâs side of the room, wondering how he was doing or where he was. He hoped Belphegor was happy, he hoped he was safe, but most of all he hoped Belphegor missed him as much as he did. When he was gone, it felt like there were two black holes in Beelâs body; one in his stomach, and one in his heart.
And it really hurt.
The late hours of the nights was what Beelzebub dreaded the most. He knew every night his dreams would sweep him into more pain and anguish- he would dream about Belphegor or Lilith again with a faux sense of happiness, and he couldnât bear it.
Those were the times he was thankful for his hunger. His stomach would rumble loudly in the dead of night, forcing Beelzebub to snap out of his dreams and get up to the kitchen to half-heartedly try and pursue being full.
Yet now that Belphegor was back home, he no longer felt happy to get up out of bed at night to sneak into the kitchen for another meal. It didnât make him feel happy anymore, it just continued to bother him. Yet it was practically impossible to ignore it.
Thankfully, Beelzebub had something else to help soothe that ache.
You.
Even if his hunger could never be satisfied, being around you could at least make it bearable. He found himself being reluctant in getting up to go to the kitchen when you had accidentally fallen asleep on his arm. And perhaps that little bit of reluctance was what he needed to get his mind off of food.
Through the multiple months, almost a year and a half now, you had become increasingly important to him. At first he recognised how sweet of a person you were. A part of him was worried youâd be swallowed by the burdens and terror his brothers would put you through, and while there were definitely some ups and downs, they all adored you and your more motherly tendencies. It was something they were all lacking in their lives.
Unbeknownst to him though, his connections with you went further than just enjoying each otherâs presence. Perhaps you two werenât all that different; besides the obvious species you were both categorized into. You would openly laugh at his jokes, cook and bake food for him, never once judged him or gobbling down hordes of food in one sitting, you got along insanely well with Belphegor, you were artistic, kind, and intelligent in your own ways. There was a nagging curiosity that told him he should be spending more time with you. And with that curiosity, he found a plane of comfort and safety around you.
It was so instant. It really caught him off guard.Â
But now you had made it into the top of his list on people he wanted to keep safe; someone very close to his heart.
And apparently you were out there somewhere on your way home. Yet no one could reach you.
Beelzebub didnât have the heart to tell Mammon or Lucifer that he had also tried to call your phone several times today. Except, he only came to the surface-level conclusion that you must have been too busy to answer his calls. He had no clue you were alone out here.
If he was Lucifer, there would be multiple scenarios flinging through his mind on where you could be or what could have happened to you. As a natural pessimist, Lucifer might have imagined you already dead in a nearby alleyway by some delinquent demon who was out for human blood. Lucifer could be imagining the grimy hands of multiple demons taking you away- somewhere the brothers would have no way of finding you. Maybe part of Luciferâs panic came from the fact that this would violate Diavoloâs direct order to keep you safe.
But Beelzebub was not Lucifer. Beel did not have a clear head, or a strategic way of thinking through problems.Â
No, he was all action and instinct, which is probably why he was still running around the Devildom like a lost cause. Half of Beelâs conscience told him it would be worth the risk to wreck multiple buildings until he somehow would run into you. But he needed to stop the itch of destruction that threatened to climb out of him. Lucifer would only be more angry.
In the back of Beelâs mind he made a reminder to apologize to Lucifer for barging out of the house in the way that he did. But he couldnât waste any more time when you still werenât home. Especially since Beelzebub was the most adept physically and capably to track and find you.
Sniff, sniff.
Beelzebub paused in the middle of a random city square, sniffing the air like a bloodhound dog. On a normal day this should be easy for him, but the drizzling rain made it more difficult to pinpoint your scent. A familiar scent of dough and bread made its way into his nostrils. The bakery is about two miles north, and the cafe that we went to a few days ago is a few feet away. Oh God, he couldnât smell people though, were you already taken?? Who would take you? Who would hurt you? Beel could feel the blood pounding in his heart, and he forced himself not to panic.Â
Beelzebub took another deep breath, sniffing the air rather loudly, trying to pinpoint exact locations. He could smell sweets, a diner filled with dishes of steak and chicken, and some booze.Â
His stomach grumbled loudly, mixing with the noises of distant thunder. He couldnât get angry. He needed to calm down.
Sniff, sniff.
He perked up, head shooting towards a pathway swallowed by complete darkness. That smelled like Asmodeusâs perfume...
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Raindrops flecked at your face, dotting the surface of your eyes.Â
Of course tonight of all nights, the Devildom would decide to sprinkle a little bit of rain just to make your night a little better.
Everlasting darkness was a permanent feature that came along with the Devildom, and although it took some getting used to, you really didnât seem to mind it anymore. The sunshine was a wonderful thing; and something that you yearned and missed from back in the human world. But it was something you could live without.
In your opinion, rain was something you could live without too.
You huffed, swiping the light rain from your eyelashes with the palm of your hand in order to try and see the road ahead of you. You were already so tired as it is. The need for your warm and cozy bed where you can fall asleep and get ready for tomorrow was what kept you moving forward. How long did it fucking take to get home??
Tsk, tsk.
A nagging feeling in your guts caused you to look over your shoulder, staring desperately into the shadows lined across buildings and alleyways. After a minute of silence, you turned back around to continue your way to the House of Lamentation. It was probably nothing anyways⊠youâve been hearing sounds this entire time and never once had you run into another demon.
Another glance at your dead phone told you that you needed to hurry back.
You cursed yourself for forgetting to charge your phone before heading to bed last night. Thatâs what some late night gaming with Leviathan will do to you⊠And yet you could only blame yourself for being unable to reach 5 cm to plug your phone into the charger before knocking out.
Somewhere in the distance, lightning forked across the sky, followed by thunder loud enough to make your ears ring.
Another glance over your shoulder told you that no one was following you.
You kept on walking, looking up into the street name that you were passing onto now. A small grin on your face as you recognized the dark and washed out street sign. Ha! You were going in the right direction.
For a moment you could hear the hushed whispers of people⊠and something else.
Breathing.
You had no time to react. Like the lightning above, you felt yourself getting yanked into the alleyway you were just about to pass. You let out a shriek, your heart practically jumping out of your throat as you were thrown against a nearby wall of the alleyway. From the miracle of some vision you had left through the darkness, you were able to make out three figures that occupied the space in front of you, blocking your means of escape. Their heads were decorated with individually different horns, and you knew instantly that they were demons.
Fuck.
You werenât sure you could even survive a fight with one of these guys, let alone three of them.
The buildings that sandwiched you and the three demons acted like a barrier, shielding you and them from the rest of the world.
âSee? I told ya she was a human!â
One of the demons had whispered to the other ones, particularly the middle one, who had his eyes trained on you. He must have been the one to pull you into the alleyway, away from prying eyes.
âYeah dipshit, we already knewâŠâ
Sweat trickled down the back of your neck and your hands suddenly felt slick, despite how chilly it was outside.
The demon in the middle ignored the banter between the other two, instead choosing to lean in a little closer to you. âHey little lady, what are you doing out here all alone?â he had a sickeningly sweet tone to his voice, seemingly studying your face. You had no clue if he could even see you clearly from the dark. His constant movements closer to your face made you feel nauseous as you attempted to move back as far as you could with a damn wall behind you.
Your mouth felt too dry for speaking. What did they want? Money? Directions?
You almost laughed at the ridiculous humor of demons needing directions from a human in their own town. Would they really take out the time of their day to yank you off the street for directions?
âI⊠I-I um was just.. On my way home..â you had attempted to speak with confidence, but it seemed your body had other ideas in showing that. Your voice cracked multiple times, and judging by their waiting faces, you werenât even sure they heard you.
âOn your way home?? Do humans even live here?â the one in the back snickered, trying to lean on the one in the middle to also try and get a better look at you as well. All three of them seemed captivated by the fact that you were a human girl. As if theyâd never seen one before. It made you feel small and sick to your stomach. Even though they were simply asking questions right now, people donât normally pull you into an alleyway just to talk. So what the hell did they want??
âTreta shut the fuck up,â the one in the middle hissed again, elbowing his partner to get him off of his shoulder. You could hear the demon huff as if he had been struck in the stomach.
You swallowed, hearing the blood from your heart pump in your ears. âW-Well uh itâs nice to meet you all, but I should really be getting on my way⊠My friends are waiting for me,â you mustered up the courage to speak, your eyes nervously flitting back and forth between them.
The demons didnât seem to want to back off though, as much as you wanted to sprint out of there. âDo ya want us to walk you home sweetheart?â the middle demon spoke up once again. He seemed to be the one most in control regarding their little group.
He also had a pungent smell in his breath, one that you couldnât put a finger on⊠It could have been cigarettes.
âUm no.. Iâm really sorry⊠I think Iâll be okay though,â you gave them a shaky smile, praying that itâll be enough to convince them to leave you alone. You must have been naive to think it was though, because they made no sudden movements to give you some space.
âI donât think itâll be okay at all. I want to spend more time with you,â he replied, making you want to yell in frustration. Why couldnât they take a hint??Â
You opened your mouth to protest, but the demon had beat you to it. âNot to worry, we can make this conversation quick. Or maybe we can head back to our place,â he gripped your upper arm, leaving you to try and jolt out of his much stronger grip. The other two acted like this was normal, practically standing around you in a ring formation. You were trapped. This situation was already uncomfortable as it is, but you felt more restricted with this stranger gripping your arm in a vice-like hold.Â
âE-Excuse me!â you spoke up, trying to keep a clear head, your other hand reaching over to attempt to pull the demonâs hand off of you. The attempts were futile however, and you were left there looking pathetic in trying to move something that wonât budge. âIâm trying not to be rude right now, b-but Iâm very uncomfortable. I seriously donât have time for this, please just leave me aloneâŠâ
The guy in the middle inched closer to your face, your noses practically touching as you stared up at him. Your eyebrows creased in fear and frustration. As much as you wished he could understand how frightened you were right now, his morals still appeared to be low in the dirt as he simply narrowed his eyes at you. âWhy are bitches so sensitive? Weâre not asking you to fuck us, weâre just trying to talk with you.â
One of the other demons off to the side decided to butt in aggressively. âWhat the fuck is the problem? Weâre just standing here, shit.â
You really didnât know what to say in response. You tried to give yourself space, you tried being nice to them, you tried telling them to leave you alone. From the sounds of your breathing, you could tell you were inhaling and exhaling heavily. No matter how much you moved your arm, you couldnât get it out of his grip. And based on the fact that they were demons, there was no way you could possibly overpower one physically. You couldnât even move enough to try and grab the pepper spray you kept in your coat pocket.
Something inside you shrank at the sight of them.
They just looked so⊠hostile.
âYou know, youâre really cute for a human. And this is a cute skirt,â the other one chuckled, running his fingers up and down your leg dangerously close to your thigh. Your jaw tensed up, and you cringed physically, too afraid to breathe or move. Any gestures you made werenât taken well, and as soon as you tried to swat his hand off of your leg, his hand just clamped onto your upper leg tighter forcing your skirt up higher than it should be.
Okay now was a good time to panic. Your heart rate hasnât managed to slow down at all yet, giving you time to think that you might die from a heart attack before these demons would be able to get you. As dark as it is, you could still see the road on your right, lit up by a dim streetlamp. Maybe if you pushed with your full body force, you could make a run for it. Or maybe⊠if you screamed loud enough someone out there would hear you.
âP-Please stop,â you croaked out, anchoring your face away from the two on the left to try and desperately look for an exit.Â
Again, your statement fell on deaf ears. You couldnât tell who did it, but one of them suddenly tore off the scarf Asmodeus had given to you this morning. Itâs beautiful pink color was thrown against the dirty floor of the alleyway. âJust relax,â he drawled. âYouâre wearing too much right now, letâs remove some layers.â
âStop it!! I told you I-â you squirmed even more now, not caring if his grip was tight enough to bruise your arm. You just wanted their grimy hands to stop touching you. A hand slammed down on your mouth, keeping any noise from escaping your lips; the force of it knocking your head back against the brick of the building.
âShhhhh! Keep quiet or weâll fucking kill you.â
You couldnât believe this. The one time you had to walk alone, and this happens. You knew you should have waited for someone to pick you up. You knew you should have turned back to find Diavolo or something. You knew you should have asked someone to stay after school with you; someone like Beelzebub who would never say no to helping you when you needed it. Maybe if he were here with you, you could be enjoying your walk home this late at night.
Hot tears bubbled up in your eyes, and you could feel the contrast of the cold night air against the warm tears sliding down your face. You almost couldnât breathe anymore.
âNow letâs-â the demon in the middle was cut off as a giant hand reached from the shadows to wrap itâs digits around the demonâs throat.Â
All four of you had flinched, not realizing that someone else had been in the alley with you this entire time. And now that you could see it, you felt blind for not having noticed the giant man standing behind the demons. He was kind of difficult to not notice.
Whoever he was, he was huge, towering over you and the three delinquent demons despite the fact that he looked to be hunched over.
He wasnât just huge, he looked solid and muscular, and probably all of you realized that there would be no chance wrestling away from this guy.
The middle demon made a gurgling noise, most likely due to the fact that his entire body was being hoisted off of the ground by just his neck. All the air compressed in your chest was lifted like a curse as the demon chose to let go of your arm to instead trade its place to claw at the hand wrapped around his neck. He was desperate for air, scratching at the strangerâs hand.Â
He didnât budge.
Whoever the hell this was, his grip on the middle demon was tight. So tight that you could see the veins and muscles popping out of the struggling demonâs neck.
The demonâs face was turning red.
He was scrambling to breathe.
His chest looked like it was palpitating.
For some reason you still couldnât move, watching with wide eyes as the life began draining from the demonâs face.
âHey!! What the fuck?!â
You think it may have been the demon on your left, but he had finally snapped out of whatever daze he may have been in, dashing forward to try and aim a well pivoted punch towards the unknown savior.Â
Like a reflex, the shadow dropped the choking demon, who was left hacking and coughing on the cold pavement. He was greedily swallowing the air now. And in return, the shadow gripped the fist of the demon who threw the punch. In an instant, he caught the punch midair, proceeding to crush the demonâs fist as if it was plastic.Â
The demon let out a strangled cry, and you could hear the bones in his hands breaking with a sickening crunch. You covered your mouth to prevent yourself from gasping, gnawing on your tongue as you watched the two demons struggle with their new injuries.Â
Perhaps the third demon was the smartest, as he made no sudden moves to try and attack the much larger figure.Â
âLeave.â
You blinked suddenly, eyebrows shooting up as you instantly recognized the voice.Â
Without another word, the uninjured demon rushed down to pick up his friend. He leaned over to pull his buddy up to his feet, making a run out of the alleyway with the third demon on their tails as if their lives depended on it.
Now⊠you were left standing here alone with the man who had saved you.
Apparently it was still raining⊠Apparently you had stopped noticing.
Quickly you wiped the tears from your face with the fronts of your palms.
He was breathing heavily- probably just as heavily as you were- as you both stared at each other in silence for a moment. By the ragged breaths he was taking, it seemed like he had run all the way out here.
And when he stepped closer, close enough that you could see his face, you felt your pulse quicken.
That familiar tuft of red hair, the familiar voice, those familiar purple eyes you were so used to seeing.
âBeel!!â you exclaimed, pushing yourself off of the wall to throw yourself on the demon. Words could not even begin to describe how happy you were to see him again, how glad that he had stepped in when he did. The thought alone that he came out here to look for you made you want to cry.
Unlike the expression he had just a few moments ago, Beelâs face instantly relaxed as he had opened his arms enough to encase your body. You honestly didnât care that he had to crouch a little more to reach your height. Instead, you chose to bury your head in his neck for some sense of comfort.
Even with all the rain and the heavy winds beginning to pick up, Beelzebub was still a radiator of warmth as you clung onto him, body shaking with little sobs.Â
And he let you.
Despite you being the one to grapple onto Beel for dear life, his reciprocated grip was just as tight around you, making you wonder in the back of your mind that he might have missed you just as much as you had missed him.
There was a moment or two of complete silence, and once you felt like you got all of your sadness out of your system, you pulled away just enough to look him in the eye. âHow did you find me here?!â
Beelzebub sheepishly shrugged, giving you another one of his little smiles to aid in your body calming down.Â
The worst was over now⊠You were going to be fine.
âI sort of just⊠followed a scent,â he finally replied shortly, pulling away to let you go pick up the pink scarf that was sitting on the ground. Its fabric was wet and dirty, the rain allowing for the med and grime to stick to the once beautifully clean scarf.
You grumbled to yourself, saddened by the fact that the scarf Asmodeus had so graciously given you to keep warm was all ruined.
Those jerks.
But even then⊠you couldnât find it in yourself to complain. Instead, you glanced over at Beel who was preoccupied on a phone call with someone who appeared to be yelling at him.Â
âY-Yes, I found herâŠ. Weâre on our way home right nowâŠâ
Beelzebubâs shoulders were tensed up and a look of guilt crossed his face in a pout as he was getting yelled at over the phone. He looked like a completely different person now; his serious exterior was replaced with a cowaring expression as he was scolded. You assumed the man over the phone was LuciferâŠ
There was still a light-hearted part of you that wanted to laugh at the sight of someone as frightening and strong as Beelzebub being reprimanded- but your exhaustion prevented it. Honestly, all you could think about was curling up in bed and going to sleep.
And perhaps you wouldnât have been able to if Beel hadnât found you.
You paused for a moment, studying the redhead with a light smile. A tugging feeling was replaced in your chest, as you had the sudden urge to do something a little bold. Making your way over to him, you stood up on your tiptoes to give him a light kiss on the cheek. It snapped him out of his conversation with Lucifer, causing him to look down at you with wide, confused eyes.Â
âThank you by the way,â you mumbled, nervously picking at your fingernails, hoping the gesture could prove how thankful you were.Â
You watched him swallow thickly before putting on a smile and speaking to you once again. âYouâre welcome⊠now, I think we should go home.â
And you couldnât agree more.
#obey me x reader#obey me x mc#obey me#obeyme#beelzebub x reader#beelzebub x mc#lucifer#mammon#asmodeus#obey me beelzebub#obey me lucifer#obey me mammon#obey me asmodeus
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One of the first few girls I'll ever write in here wobdoswsn- I'm going on my base knowledge of Jean here and it's not gonna be a pretty start, mind you. I don't ship characters really but I see the dynamic in this one, honestly one of the fics that are easiest to write for me. Also I just realized how many poly asks are there aodhsosnxonsâ
Chivalry Isn't Dead
Poly Relationship Scenarios with You, Jean and Diluc!



Background (How It Started)
You are a knight in Ordo Favonius, the place where you met Jean and Diluc for the first time. You were there when they both started and you were also there when they ascended to be the Dandelion Knight and the Cavalry Captain.
You became close first with the captain, the first one you've met between them, because of the fact that you were under his unit. Back then he was very open and close with you, teaching you and making sure you were intact.
When Jean ascended, that's when she found out about you due to the nature of her work as one of the higher-ups. She found you so endearing with your whole-hearted desire to secure Mondstadt.
Jean knew about Diluc for a while now due to his status as one of the youngest to ascend in Captain hood and how their work was closely aligned, and they both collaborate with their silent oaths to protect you. The trio of you are VERY confused over your own feelings, wondering what exactly this entails or which one would you have to choose.
In the span of that mulling, you three had become very close due to your intervention, the glue that keeps you all together literally. You're very physical when you're dealing with people you consider very close, and the both of them always melt upon your embrace.
Between the both of them was light-hearted competition on who can make you feel safer, protect you better. And you are ever so dense over their friendly banter, and the sexual tension between them.
When Diluc left the knights, you had been under the comfort and command of Jean instead, taking your place away from the Cavalry unit to be those of the stationary knights to assist her after she became the Acting Grandmaster. You were devastated over his disappearance the most due to your closeness and Jean was the only person who could keep you sane.
The relationship starts in that period with you and Jean as the first set of couples.
When Diluc came back, his relationship with Jean became estranged and yet there was still a hint of comfort when he was under your presence. Jean was a bit devastated at their new status quo as she had come into terms of her feelings about him during his leave.
You spent most of your time then trying to get close to Diluc again and his feelings came back tenfold, making him finally confess. In front of you and Jean. the tension was thick when Jean finally caught her breath to inform Diluc of your relationship with her.
Horrified yet still adamant, Diluc stood his ground and looked at you both, millions of emotions flashing through his red irises. Jean looked at him longingly and of the old memories they shared protecting you. And you... were trying to understand why you desire them both in the same level.
Your honesty over the situation suddenly opened up the idea of polyamory and it seems that despite the tension between the two ex/knights, with you as their mediator and lover, they were willing to try or wait until you choose only one of them.
Spoilers: You chose both in the end.
How The Relationship Goes
While things go nicely between you and the other two, when it comes to them alone it was... weird. You pretty much carry the triangle here as they were both wary of displaying affection with each other, and most of it has to do with the reputation they have to uphold.
Jean protects you at day, Diluc makes sure you're safe at night. The nature of their work had you evenly split between the both of them and you three chance a fully present meet up by evening when Diluc is still on his shift and Jean has finished her work early.
Speaking of, you and Diluc fret over Jean's overworking albeit different in approach. Diluc would be brash about his opinion, calling her out while still offering materials that may help ever so subtly. While you are more adamant, sometimes dragging her off her seat and you taking over her work while she rests on the couch.
Since her work correlates with yours, you always put double the effort to help her with commissions to make sure it gets cut faster. This sometimes backfires with the both of you overworked, a disappointed Diluc pulling you both to the Winery to relax by the fireplace without the scandalous rumors sparking.
When you show physical affection Jean, she always reciprocates it the best she can, happily granting you attention and letting you cling to her during work. Your presence grounds her, relaxing her at the same time with your bouts of comfort.
When you indulge Diluc with affection, he's stoic and cross armed usually. Because of the nature of his work at the tavern, giving him some loving would need to be done while he works or not at all. The customers would find you behind the counter, clinging to his waist as Diluc serves the drinks nonchalantly, sometimes he wears glare if people were about to comment on it and that usually shuts them up.
Behind closed doors however the Ragnvindr indulges you too with his affection, still stoic but reciprocal, the rarity of it making it the more precious.
Dates RARELY happen between you three because of the fully loaded schedule all three of you have. It only ever happens when you all suddenly have free time or you cry about it.
The both of them spoil you a lot more than you'd realize. Diluc gifts you and Jean materialistically, while yours were small trinkets, Jean's are more for functionality or items that had slipped past her lips once of which Diluc remembers.
Sugar daddy Diluc for the both of you, motherly Jean in retaliation, and you're just their precious darling that will never be hurt under their supervision.
In time, Diluc and Jean would end up getting closer but still behind closed doors for safety. It was only ever you that's so shameless to pour out affection in full display and these two are too intoxicated by your love to pull you away.
During daytime on a weirdly usual occassions the people of Mond frequently spots your trio strolling hand-in-hand around the city, lively chatter about anything and everything before going back to your stuffy workspaces. Diluc would part a few feet away from the headquarters with a kiss on the head for you two. And when he turns back, you and Jean would giggle to yourselves before going to work.
Bonus: Diluc has asked for a professional painter to paint you and Jean, said canvas hanging at his office in the Winery. Jean has a Kamera photo of you three by her office too. And you have them both in a locket.
As Leverage
Your highly advantageous position to garner the heart of not only the Acting Grandmaster's but also the holder of the wine tycoon (and Darknight Hero) had made you a target for many lecherous beings.
While those with mind do not outright take you away, opting to trying to get to your good side as leverage, there are rascals like the Abyss Order who just does what they want and can.
The moment you disappear, both of them are immediately alerted due to their schedules coinciding with yours. And with your kidnapping, they too slip into the shadows, never to return for days.
It was one of the scarce moments that Diluc and Jean are in perfect sync, knowing each other's plans and next move, falling into each other's pace as they carefully concoct their plan for your retrieval.
Jean would definitely cry. As she was the one who mostly basks in your presence, there are many parts of her breakdown that comes to play: the heavy work left behind, your comforting presence that keeps her alive, and the fact that she lost you when she's supposed to keep an eye on you as per silent agreement with Diluc.
She'd cry at him, telling him she's sorry for being careless, and Diluc would comfort her in his arms without ending up as broken as her. This moment had established a bond between them that would be a solid foundation to your triangle, but also a better understanding of how important you are to them.
You disappear three days maximum with how quick and smart they are about the kidnapping.
Abyss Mages were almost forgotten with how quiet they suddenly got after that incident. That massacre.
While traumatized, you are also more than happy to see the newfound closeness between your lovers, as you melt into their tight cuddles after rescuing you.
There may or may not be talks of plans about you and Jean moving in the Winery officially.

Ugh, so cute!!! my bi ass was on full blast here-
@moaa @dandelion-dreams @witchsungie @zelos-simp @legionqueensav @snackgod @rxsalinee @cala-ran @wind-wheel
#genshin impact x reader#diluc x reader#jean x reader#genshin impact#exile.goblet#exile.flower#genshin impact headcanons#sojourner specials#hhhhhh#cute#gender neutral
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âsingle!parent headcanons
part one
mtha thots: the manga makes me really sad and i think children deserve a childhood so i made this to cope
all characters are 18+
Warnings: itâs long but, other than that, none <3
© 2021 all writing content belongs to mythiccheroacademia. do not repost or modify
Shouto Todoroki:Â
truth be told, shouto never wanted childrenÂ
he knew how important someoneâs childhood meant
shouto honestly couldnât trust himself not to mess it up :(
so imagine his surprise when he came to fall in love with this little boy, no older than six, he found snooping around a dumpsterÂ
itâs actually kind of funny how they came to be bc shouto was 100% put off by the kid
when they made eye contact, they stared at each other likeÂ
shouto:đ§đ»
the boy: đïżœïżœïżœđ
shouto again:đ§đ»
before the brat blew him a raspberry and tried to run offÂ
ofc he caught up to him and, despite the boyâs tantrum, the two went straight to the police
and for some reason, todoroki ended up with him in his condo
the first couple of weeks were terribleÂ
it seemed like Yuuma hated his gutsÂ
shouto let him have his space and only really pestered him when it was time to do the essentials
at midoriyaâs suggestion, heâd try and talk to him about his day or how his therapy sessions went, but it was no useÂ
the boy would tell him not to worry about it and scurry offÂ
this happened for some time and honestly, todoroki was at his witâs endÂ
until one day, shouto realized that it wasnât that the child hated him, he just didnât want to be a burden him
then everything clickedÂ
mustering up the courage, todoroki one day asked Yuu if heâd like to help him make dinner and the way the kidâs eyes brightened up at the chance to be useful made him a bit sad
but he pushed it away in favor for how the boy blossomed as he showed shouto the right way to stir meat stew and make onion rings
at the end, the red n white hero gave him an honest smile and thanked him for his help
Yuuma looked at him for a long time before bursting into tearsÂ
it was the first time shouto had seen him cry in weeksÂ
it was also the first time they hugged
from then on, it was almost magical how well they clickedÂ
the boy was exitable and extroverted, todoroki was quiet and reservedÂ
they were both stubborn to a fault sometimes and that didnât bode over well during the few disagreements they had but they brought the best out in each otherÂ
shouto made the kid feel safe and secure, always reminding him that anything he did for him was never burdensomeÂ
Yuuma gave the hero a confidence boost and a chance at another type of love he never knew he wantedÂ
the first time his son called him dad was when todoroki made the adoption officialÂ
Yuuma shyly asked if it was okay that he called him his father and shouto will not admit to the tears he desperately tried to hide from a teasing midoriya and his siblings (ofc he had them there)
no one knows this but todoroki literally had separation anxiety the first couple of years
his child was just fine being with the babysitter but shouto would spend his work days/nights feeling very tense being away from himÂ
called/texted the kid all the time, left him encouraging sticky notes in his lunch box, and would hug him for at least 3 min before leaving the house
heâs such a mother hen bye
heâs lucky yuu adores him bc he was lowkey doing a lot LMAO
they have movie nights together and geek over manga like nerdsÂ
yuuma cosplayed as roy mustang once and todoroki has an album of pics from that day aloneÂ
todorokiâs the type to randomly bring his son fruit just becauseÂ
yuuma regularly slept in shoutoâs bed/futon until around 7th grade
as his son got older, and more popular (w the ladies AND gents hehe) at school, todoroki got a little jealous bc yuuma wanted to spend more time with his friends
he was legit hurt the first time yuu canceled on movie night to go to a sleepover đ„ș
todoroki moped over it until midoriya told him to knock it off đ
itâs a shameful quality of his, but shouto will always lie to get his kid out of the stupid shit he gets himself into only bc yuu plays really funny pranksÂ
has to keep himself from laughing in front of the principleÂ
theyâre both lowkey mischevious asfÂ
heâll scold him later tho so itâs okay, heâs responsibleâąïž
shouto always calls yuu âsonâ
if he calls him by his full name, heâs either sad or annoyed w him
during family gatherings, yuuma is the star of the show bc of his superb cooking skills
he and fuyumi get along great
and surprisingly enough, bakugo adores the kid even though the same canât be said for todoroki himselfÂ
yuuma wants to open a restaurant and heâs a little afraid of his fatherâs reaction
little does he know, shouto is ready to hand over his black card at momentâs notice purrrâš
heâs a really supportive father and he has his hiccups, but todo tries his very best and his son makes him impossibly proud every dayÂ
oh and did i mention they wear matching sweaters?
theyâre that kind of family
itâs so cute i could dieÂ
Midoriya Izuku:Â
midoriya was born and bred to be a fatherÂ
change my mindÂ
i mean look at that faceÂ
thatâs daddy material to me đ
anyways
midoriya has two girls that are about a year apart
due to the immense pressure of being with the #1 hero and an unwillingness to be a mother, his then girlfriend at the time suddenly left him, signing over all maternal rights to the heroÂ
it just crushed izukuÂ
he spent weeks trying to look for her and to make it workÂ
he wanted his girls to have a two-parent household, but she went radio silentÂ
it was a difficult adjustmentÂ
but deku is the most ambitious and resiliant person on the planet so he was devoted to giving them the best lif he couldÂ
and ofc he had the support of all his friends and his motherÂ
but there were a lot of ups and downs
mostly downs in the first year being a single parent
at the time, his youngest wasnât even one whiles eldest was almost twoÂ
and izuku worked a lotÂ
being #1 meant he was the countryâs go-to whenever something happened and he missed a lot of stuff heâd never get to redoÂ
like his youngest, Maiaâs, first word which was âbunnyâ
and the first time his oldest, Naomi, went to the bathroom by herselfÂ
and izuku will never forget the day he came to pick his kids up after being on a week long international mission
when he reached out for them, they looked at him as if they didnât know who he wasÂ
izuku spent the entire night crying in inkoâs armsÂ
the next morning, he only had to deliver some paperwork, but everyone noticed the usually chipper heroâs sour mood and stayed clear from his path
even bakugo and todoroki felt chills when izuku passed byÂ
it was tough, but deku was determinedÂ
he started taking up night shifts so he could be there for his girls during the day
heâd pick them up from inkoâs right after work and spend the day playing with themÂ
izuku stayed up on a dangerous amount of caffeine and will power
there were days he literally passed out from exhaustion, but it was worth it to see them through their milestonesÂ
when Naomi went to kindergarten, he couldnât stop buzzing around w excitement
he just adored listening her ramble on about what she learned and that persisted on even as she grew
like, sheâs a genius
she was his doppleganger in intellect and resilience
sheâs def a daddyâs girl and although sheâs not as empathetic as her father, theyâre very closeÂ
naomi is an excellent older sister and stepped up early when izuku couldnât always be thereÂ
maia is izukuâs match in personality
sheâs very sweet, a bit more extroverted, and compassionate
but pls donât get it twisted, that girl gives the fam a run for their moneyÂ
sheâs got izukuâs righteousness but heightened 100x and with a lot more anger
the girlâs got quite the mean mug and she got hands highkey
they both do tbh (i mean, izuku is their dad...)
the amount of fights naomiâs had to back her up in is ridiculous đ
theyâre two peas in a pod tho so if you mess w one sister, you mess w both âŒïž
regardless of all that, izuku wouldnât change them for anythingÂ
heâs the type to obnoxiously kiss them on their cheeks before school
theyâll take turns doing each otherâs hair
izuku gets pigtails that he proudly wears to workÂ
deku has a private instagram that is so filled with those two, sometimes ppl forget itâs his
he def has a âgirl dadâ t-shirt
he calls them his angels đ„ș
i see him getting a tattoo of their names on his arm or something
theyâre all cry babies so when they get into arguments, it doesnt last long
both girls went to UA to be heroes and izukuâs heart just soars with pride every dayÂ
he also cried an obnoxious amount and for some odd reason, kept popping up for âdemonstrative purposesâ
they had to have a family talk so they could tell him to stop babying them in the kindest way possibleÂ
and by that i mean, naomi said it bluntly and maia did damage control lmao
overall, izuku loves those girls more than life and they love him just the sameÂ
raising them was a rollercoaster, but heâd do it all over again in a heartbeat
Sero Hanta:
another one that just looks like heâd be an amazing father
please have my children sir
sero is one of the few that was actually looking to adopt a kid
he came from a large family and desired connection with a family of his own
he tried a for a while, but it never seemed to happen
until he came about a small girl he met on the off chance of passing by her hospital room when he was getting a quick check up
she was one of the children they saved on a mission and when he saw her curled up on the hospital bed that seemed to swallow her whole, his feet moved on their own
the girl, Keiko, was left injured and an orphan, yet despite her circumstances, she was just a joy to be aroundÂ
sero spent the rest of visiting time with her and just knew she was it for him
she was very sick so heâd spend his breaks visiting her at the hospitalÂ
keiko was a huge cellophane fan and it just melted his heart đ„ș
sheâd have a huge smile on her face, unabashedly showing off her missing front tooth, every time he walked in
theyâd spend hours just drawing or talking about their day
when sero shyly brought up the possibility of adopting her, keiko could barely contain herselfÂ
she drew him one of her best pieces as a thank you and sero still has it hanging on his mirror to this day â€ïž
keikoâs actually quite the artist so thereâs many more up there to keep it companyÂ
the adjustment period went smoother than anticipated
the girl had her moments and hanta was getting used to being a 24/7 parent, but it was like they quickly acted as if they had been blood related their entire lives
they are ride or dies for each other LMAO
they donât argue
like at all
the worst they ever got was when keiko rushed to help her father on the job when she happened to see him get hurtÂ
sero yelled at her in panicÂ
it was so startling that they avoided each other for the time being
but a few hours later, sero went and apologizedÂ
and that was that
keiko had frequent nightmares and sero would sacrfice copious hours of sleep so that he could turn on the projecter and give her a run down about every star in the âskyâ before she falls asleepÂ
he actually bought and named a star after her for her first bday with him
sero pats her head a lot and she hates it
he calls her squirt, sport, kid, and princess if theyâre having a soft moment
they have an unholy amount of matching onsiesÂ
the kid was already getting to the stage where she wanted to be independent, but she would let her father pick out her outfits sometimes
only bc he put a lot of effort into doing itÂ
aka, she caught him crying over cute pintrest pics bc heâs a simp
okay but sero really, isnât much of a crier, but heâs sentimental asf
every milestone is recorded
every school night, heâs there (she was a good kid, so he all but gloats w pride after every visit w the teachers)
any drawing she makes, he hasÂ
heâll do anything to be there for his daughter so it really crushed him when he couldnât go to her high schoolâs father daughter danceÂ
sero had a mission he couldnt get out of and he was sorely pissed off about itÂ
keiko assured her father that it was okay and that it was corny anyways
but he could hear the disappointment in her voiceÂ
he made kirishima go with her anyways bc he didnt want her to miss out on the experienceÂ
and you bet your ass that when she came back home, sero was there in a tux with the living room set up to make it up to herÂ
it is just as cheesy as you think it is, but theyâre cute so who caresÂ
also the way they both can dance is crazyyyyyy
rhythm isnât even the word
if there was a competition for best father-daughter dance duo, they would win every time! and i stand by that!
they have at least one viral tiktok dance they did together
seroâs not the emotional type, but the first time keiko had a boyfriend he def made a threat or two to himÂ
it was actually so scaryÂ
anyways
theyâre honestly the cutest duo and everyone on the block agrees
 i love it â€ïž
#bnha headcanons#mha headcanons#shouto todoroki#izuku midoriya#sero hanta#father!bnha#single!dad headcanons#can you tell how much i love this idea#i love when the bnha characters are happy <3#also supriseeee shawtyy
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I COME BACK WITH THOUGHTS/THEORIES ON ITADORI AND HIS RELATIONS- I THINK.
anyways, so i'll just point this out: i'm not good at speaking my thoughts in an organized manner. i absolutely suck at it, i speak on how my brain brings up the thoughts so i might ramble, get over my head in a thought, etc. i can't control it so i apologize in advance for the jumpiness of the texts. i will spell a lot of things wrong and not everything will be correct, as i read translations and on a manga site. don't worry it's not illegal, i believe.
MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD.

i apologize for my absence! last week or two weeks ago the tower to my computer completely broke and will not turn on. i tried to repair it and follow my fathers instructions but nothing worked. even cleaned off the fan and went through countless nights readjusting things. it's not my cords either so to help me out my father is working extra shifts to get me a new pc. so in the meantime i'll do small posts like these but not full writing/head canons until i have a computer tower lol. a family member was kind enough to allow me to have their phone while we work throughout this issue.
now onto the actual topic:
kenjaku and itadori's relationship. ( family wise ).
for context in the most recent chapter, 160 "colony" kamo shows up in sasaki's home and talks to her about the culling game and a barrier. but that's not the point, the point is as he's guiding her to the barrier inside her "dream" at the end he says "oh right. i almost forgot to tell you. thank you for getting along with my son." and then she is awakened inside the barrier, in her pajamas beside iguchi. when sasaki and iguchi look at the barrier and gather themselves they bring up kamo.
sasaki asked iguchi if he mentioned his son and he says no. this leaves sasaki in a state of confusion when itadori flashes in her mind. she says his name aloud like she finally connected the dots. now. why am i bringing up this whole kenjaku thanking sasaki for being his "son"'s friend. it throws me off because why didn't he thank iguchi?
did he not think iguchi meant their friendship? because sasaki was the one uninjured and still counted itadori as a friend? does iguchi not consider itadori as a friend anymore?
because we haven't seen these two at all since the incident. that raised many questions in me. as well "how can itadori be related to kamo?" and itadori is related to choso.

because kamo's technique is explained ( vaguely. we are aware he can create barriers, take over bodies, and has incredible cursed tools. chapter 134. this is also where choso makes his connection ( i believe. ) to itadori yuji as his brother. but because we saw this with todo many thought itadori just had another unconsious technique that allows the person who is hit create false memories and believe of a completely made up relationship with itadori without his knowledge. but alas, i was wrong. ) and we're given more hints shown than told ( imo ) i tried my best to make sense out of the situation and what he said. i think my conclusions are pretty solid, so continuing on.
we're given very little history on itadori, his past, and family. at the start of the manga we know that itadori's only family he knows is his grandfather and that he is ill in the hospital. at the very very beginning we learn that itadori is your average cute, fluffy, laid back but strong and goofy protagonist. in smaller words: itadori is kirby but even cuter and dumber.
my first impressions of him is a pineapple. if you're confused to this saying: it's calling a person prickly on the outside but sweet on the inside. and this is true, itadori's grandfather seems prickly and cold on the outside but he genuinely cares for itadori.
he raised itadori for all we know and did that with his all in assumption. but this ends up backfiring onto itadori, because he cares so much for his grandson - he ends up leaving a " curse " on yuji.
help people. save them.
itadori takes this to heart as his grandfathers speech is his last one. when he looks over to his grandfather the man is dead and now yuji is left alone. then the following events occur.
at this point in time i assumed itadori was an orphan ( he technically is if we're connecting the dots. his parents has not been shown, he doesn't speak of them, they aren't in the picture. we can conclude either they disowned itadori or died before he could make complete memories of them. )
but when we are shown in chapter 143 itadori's parents we see this "woman" jin ( yuji's father ) and his grandfather talking about has the same scar pattern. this scar pattern is either stitching ( assuming that is how kamo keeps the top of the opened skull from coming off. this is also how kamo revealed his cursed technique / body of sorts ( the brain, assuming that is kenjaku in his cursed technique and not the body / puppet he is controlling " getou suguru " ) to gojou. )
this is the only way i find kamo being able to assign itadori as his son. why is that you might be asking this dumbass here.
we do not have the full story, exact date, location, and full context of the memory/dream itadori is having. this cannot be fake either because kamo would than have no reason to call itadori his son. or is there? anyways.
take a leap of faith with me. imagine that before itadori is born ( he seems no more than a few weeks or days old in this memory. hence why i am thinking my conclusion is pretty solid in theory. but yknow gege, there might be something different. ) anywhooo.
TW. D3ATH/IMPLYING ANTI LIFE ATTEMPT
kamo had to have taken over yuji's mothers body after an accident OR after she gave birth to yuji. his grandfather is interrupted by her before he can finish his sentence but it seems to be leading to the conclusion that either kaori ( yuji's mother ) died while giving birth to yuji or kaori could not conceive and tried to take her own life or cause an accident that would take her life. ( i read a fan translation for this part but im pretty sure i also read the official translation today too and it added up to the same. )
i believe in the first idea, but since kamo's cursed technique wasn't explained in detail i don't know the conditions of his body technique. does the original host of the body have to be dead? can he regenerate body limbs ( i highly doubt. getou lost an arm during his fight with yuta. overconfident dick. reminding me of an ex ANTWAYS. i forgive him for being overconfident smooch. he learned. OFF TOPIC but continuing on i promise.
this is being continued from the cut off point. i'm so upset so it'll just be summarized. i can't believe this shit lol i took three hours just to finish it for it to literally cut off the bottom half.

continuing on in a sadge mood. kamo must not have the complete ability to take over a body. after all getou took his only arm he had as he was dying and choked his own body to his full ability. getou was willing to die ( possibly, you never know he could be alive if he killed his own body. moving on. ) just to have the chance to save his friend from being swallowed by a damn box.
so there has to be a chance that kamo cannot fully take over the previous persons complete consious and memory of their body. if getou still had his other arm after losing the fight to yuta, he could've choked kamo with both arms. in theory kamo wouldn't be able to control the right arm and die to the previous host choking him to death.
so why wouldn't the other hosts do it? after all, kamo did say it was his first time experiencing such a thing. assuming kamo has lived throughout many bodies in his 150+ lifespan none of the previous hosts could take control of their body.
i believe getou was completely influenced by gojou and his six eyes. there is no way gojou would even try to speak out to his friend unless he had an inkling or saw getou still in there. helpless and without the ability to save himself from the cage he's in.
being used and puppeteered in his own body by an external force. laughing in the world he could not. putting getou into a constant misery and defeat that he couldn't escape his hell. the one he tried so hard to fight and get out of. even if it was the wrong path.
gojou was the last person to witness getou dying. he had to watch getou bleed out after their conversation because he couldn't bring himself to kill his friend. the one he spent his whole jujutsu student life with. so for gojou to say such a thing to getou despite all that he did had to break getou out of his misery and give him that small sliver of hope that he could do something. of course he failed, but i doubt that's going to be the end of that.
the only way i see kamo being related to yuji is if he took over kaori's body before the pregnancy. assuming that when kamo takes over a body he becomes one with said body and is that person for however long he lives in said body. my only thing is, can he take over a persons body whilst they are alive? i would go more in depth like i did the last time but i am extremely upset about my work being erased so that's the end of this part.
thank you for reading! i have one more thing for you though.
the last time we see sukuna in a manga page after the shibuya incident is where he is on his throne and in his domain. this is after yuji is stabbed by yuta and is presumed "dead" at the time. he seems to be interested in yuta and i can think of 2-3 things. I would love to hear your theories too so don't be afraid to barge into my dms like the koolaid man.
A - sukuna is interested in Yuta because of his ability to use the reverse healing technique ( only a few sorcerers know this. sukuna being the first. shoko being the second one to be told that she has this power and then gojou. ) because of this he sees potential in yuta as well or has added this boy into his plans. after all, there is very few that can make sukuna make an expression that isn't an RBF. aka megumi and possibly gojou. I was looking at the page of him stabbing yuji and noticed we only see the entry point of where the blade enters. it's smaller because some got chunked off so its a possibility yuta used this to his advantage when "killing" yuji and instead hit an artery that could kill him but quickly healed him afterwards. or just his heart. the ideas.
B. Rika, Yuta is able to completely control Rika as shown. Even though he claims he is on the weak side, these two combined seem like an unstoppable force. He may be interested in Rika as she is a curse that has been put on someone that can fully control it. Not many people is shown to be able to control their curse. As we haven't met many.
this was enti and that's the last of my post! thank you for reading and it was a fun one. even though i had to restore this shit. anyways, i'd love you to add or fix up my ideas and tell me your thoughts and opinions! Thanks a bunch!

^ this is for pure humor
#đentiramblesă#jujutsu megumi#jujutsu kaisen#jjk#yuji itadori#itadori#yuji#getou suguru#suguru getou#sukuna ryomen#sukuna#yuta#jjk yuta#gojou#geto suguru#suguru geto#theories#jjk theory#manga spoilers#jjk spoilers
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Soft core

Genre: Fluff(?) Words: 11,4 k holy shit this is insane Prompt: Jaehyun in his vampire bdsm outfit he wore in the Punch era but make it sfw Warnings: mentions of blood, brief mentions of member x member relationships, brief descriptions of a panic attack
A/N: This was written for Aimee who loves Jaehyun with her whole heart, happy birthday Aimee đ I hope you had an amazing day and like this little something. I know you deactivated but I already started writing this a month ago and Iâll post it anyways in the hope youâll see this someday and a couple of others will enjoy this as well. I have mixed and matched their outfits and tattoos from both the concept photos and the live stages. Also Iâm sorry Johnny, but you fit the role of the shameless flirt so well⊠Bonus points for anyone who spots all cameos. Special thanks to @burtonizedâ who made me keep going with this and listened to all my complaints.
To say you were nervous before starting your first shift at your new job in a reasonably shady bar not too far from your apartment was an understatement. You seriously questioned your own sanity and why you had even applied for the job when you had seen the offer on the beat up wooden entrance door next to an old motorcycle license plate and a bright green neon sign that illuminated the word âopenâ a couple of days ago. The blue haired man behind the bar had given you a questioning look after you had entered the bar because you couldnât have looked any more out of place with your soft sweater between the old wooden interior and the leather the barman and a handful of customers were wearing. It had cost all of your courage and a reminder that you needed to find a job for the weekends to walk up to the bar to ask the barman about the job offer. He had asked you a couple of questions like whether you had already waited tables before, which you had (at a place that was lit far better than this one but how different would it be?). The man who had introduced himself as Kun and honestly seemed like a big softie on the inside despite his serious look (it had to be the intense eyebrows) had agreed to hire you on the spot because he had the offer up for a while and no one had come in to ask about it and he couldnât keep bullying his apparently very chaotic roommates to keep covering the shifts on the busy weekends anymore.
Thatâs how you found yourself here, a couple of days later on a Friday night, staring at the wooden door yet again (now missing the job offer and not yet illuminated by the neon sign).You took a deep breath and pushed through the door of the bar, this time not looking as out of place as you had before, wearing black skinny jeans and a simple grey v-neck. Kun looked up from where he was wiping down the counter, shooting you a smile. Today he had styled his hair up, exposing his forehead and was wearing a black button up shirt with a bunch of white details that was missing quiet some buttons at the top. âYou actually came,â he grinned, âYou can put your jacket and bag into the back room.â He pointed to a door with the label âstaff onlyâ. âWeâre opening in half an hour. Iâll introduce you to the others once they decide to arrive.â Nodding you rushed to put your stuff away. You were pleasantly surprised by how clean it was in the back. The beat up interior from the main room was nowhere to be found. So it really didnât seem too bad if it was only shabby for aesthetic purposes.
After taking a couple of more deep breaths in front of the mirror in the staff room, you felt as prepared as you would ever be and emerged back into the main room of the bar. Next to Kun behind the counter was now another man, clad in the tightest pair of leather pants you had ever seen and a loose, see through black blouse, his long blonde hair tied back into a ponytail, showing off a variety of piercings in his ears that were reflecting the low light of the neon signs. When both men noticed you, the blonde flashed you a bright smile and quickly wiped his fingers on the towel he had used to dry some glasses and held it out for you to shake. âHi, Iâm Ten. Kun told me he had finally found someone willing to help us out on the weekends but he missed to tell me how cute you are. Donât worry the customers are all nice and if anyone gives you any problems, weird stares or makes inappropriate comments, just tell me immediately and Iâll throw them out,â he introduced himself. You couldnât help but giggle a bit at the image of this petite man throwing drunken men twice his size out of the bar. âThank you,â you answered before introducing yourself as well. âWould you please wipe down the tables in the back?â Kun asked, handing you a cloth, âThe other waiter should be here any minute, so he can walk you through the process.â âYouâre all males working here?â You asked shyly while starting to wipe the tall round tables closest to the bar. âHoney, thereâs not many woman brave enough to even set a foot in here even though about eighty percent of our regulars and hundred percent of our staff are big softies hiding behind leather jackets and tattoos,â Ten chirped, disappearing beneath the counter to check the tubes of the beer taps.
Speaking of the other staff, as if on queue the door slammed open to reveal a ridiculously tall man with the biggest brown eyes you had ever seen, his platinum hair swept back from his forehead, Â a huge grin plastered on his face. âYooo, the poster with the job offer is gone, did you finally find someone?â The man all but shouted, excitedly bouncing up and down on his way to the bar, shucking off his leather jacket and carelessly throwing it on one of the bar stools to reveal toned arms and a strong chest straining his short sleeved black shirt. âXuxi, indoor voice please,â Kun groaned, massaging his temples. âOh sorry,â the other man - Xuxi - answered, flashing Kun big puppy eyes. âWe did find someone, please donât scare her off,â Ten answered Xuxiâs initial question, emerging back from under the counter, smashing the door shut, which caused Kun to groan again. âThat thing has a handle for a reason,â he sighed. âIt keeps opening itself back up otherwise,â the smaller man shrugged, leaning against the now spotless counter, a mischievous smile on his lips. âWait, her?â Xuxi asked, eyes wide in either excitement or amazement, âAs in she? A girl?â âYes, hello,â you quietly introduced yourself, stepping out from the corner where you had been cleaning the tabletops.
âWow, youâre so pretty,â Xuxi said instead of a proper introduction when you walked over to where the three men were standing. You could feel the heat rise to your cheeks, tinting them a rosy color. Sighing, Kun took the dirty cloth from you and rinsed it in the sink. âThis is Xuxi, the other waiter for tonight. As you might have noticed he doesnât have much of a filter, but i swear he is harmless.â âJust call me Lucas at work, itâs easier,â the man in question grinned, not even bothering to correct Kun and extended a hand for you to shake (needless to say because he was unnecessary tall, his huge hand could almost cover your whole fist). âIâll teach you everything you need to know,â he beamed and even though he had just called you cute, he was definitely the cutest person currently in this room. âThank you,â you murmured, a smile spreading on your lips because Xuxiâs grin was really infectious and you felt your anxiety disappearing.
In the remaining time before the bar would officially open, Xuxi taught you everything you needed to know. From their system and how youâd take the orders and which tables you would serve to special drinks that werenât on the menu and what to do if any customers would give you trouble. âThereâs probably not much to do for the first two hours or soâ, Xuxi concluded, running a hand through his platinum blonde hair, making his muscles dance beneath his shirt, âLike that you can get used to it before it gets packed. Fridays are always busy and thereâs a bunch of different people coming. Did any regulars call in before?â He asked the last question to the general direction of the bar. Flipping through a book next to the cash register, Ten nodded. â127 are coming in, they got that big table in the back but other than that, no one called.â âWhatâs 127?â You asked curiously because that was one of the tables you were supposed to serve. âTheyâre a group of guys our age, but Iâm not really sure what exactly they are to be honest,â Xuxi laughed while fixing the belt that held his wallet before handing you your own one. âI think they are bikers,â Ten supplied, turning around to reorganizing the bottles behind the bar for the third time tonight, âAt least some of them have bikes and they sure look the part. Have you seen Johnnyâs new tattoo the other week, Xuxi? That must have hurt like hell.â âYeah, I saw the post with his chestpiece on his Instagram. That man is ripped.â âWell, youâre one to talk,â you murmured under your breath, organizing the contents of the belt to your liking. Laughing out loud, Ten slapped Kun on the chest. âWe need to keep her, I like her,â he giggled and Kun just shot you a slightly pained smile, rubbing where Tenâs hand had come down. âOh come on, old man. I didnât even hit that hard.â âStop calling me old, I am literally just two months older than you,â Kun groaned, softly shaking a grinning Ten. Unbothered by the bickering of the two barmen, Xuxi called over from the door: âIâll switch on the sign!â
Your anxiety came back at full force when the bar started to fill up one hour after it opened. Resisting the urge to hide behind the bar, you approached yet another group of shady looking men to take their orders. Like the other people you had served before, they gave you a weird look while looking up and down your frame once before asking if you were new here. You just nodded and smiled politely while writing down their orders before walking back to the bar where you took out one of the trays and put the note with the order on top so Ten or Kun could put the according drinks on top. âHere, have a little drink, the night is just beginning,â Ten grinned and pushed a glass into your hands before completing the order while somehow also dancing fluently to the music that was playing through the speakers now. You eyed the drink suspiciously, the deep orange color throwing you off a bit. âItâs not spiked, no need to worry,â Xuxi told you, suddenly appearing next to you, placing his own tray with empty glasses onto the counter, winking teasingly before grabbing a colorful bottle to pour a bunch of shots, so Ten and Kun could focus on the other, more complicated drinks on the orders. You drowned the sickly sweet drink quickly and put the glass next to the ones that needed to be rinsed. You mouthed Ten a âthank youâ when you picked up your order and he blew you an exaggerated kiss, making you giggle and feel a little more at ease. It was like he had known you were being nervous again.
After checking in with your other tables and earning a big tip from some truckers that actually had been really nice, you made your way back to the bar to help Kun with rinsing the glasses that had been piling up. âYou remember those regulars that were coming in tonight?â the blue haired barman suddenly asked, âThatâs them.â He nodded towards the door where a group of men were coming in. For a moment, your breath got caught in your throat because Ten hadnât been wrong earlier when he said that those 127 guys looked like bikers. Honestly anyone of them could have been a model for the leather clothes they were wearing while standing in front of a Harley Davidson or thrashing something with a baseball bat. (Also was one of them wearing a metal harness beneath his leather vest?) âTheyâre all nice people, no need to worry,â Kun calmed you down, shooting you a reassuring smile before taking the beer glass from your hands that you had started to grip so hard, your knuckles were turning white. âHow many are they?â You asked him curiously while eyeing the group as they made their way over to their designated table, greeting other regulars as well as Lucas (one of them was apparently just as incapable of having an indoor voice as him when he loudly yelled âLucasâ before hugging the taller male tightly).
âYooo, Johnnyâs chestpiece looks even more sick in real life,â Lucas said with wide eyes when he came back to the bar. âAlso he gave me 20 dollar so I would ask Haechan and Mark if they were even legal when they would order something alcoholic,â he grinned, âIâll share if you do it.â âHow am I supposed to know who to ask?â You asked because even though you were shy, 20 dollars were 20 dollars. âThatâs the spirit,â Lucas grinned and threw an arm around your shoulders to turn you in the direction of the table where the men had sat down, not even trying to be subtle about it. âYou see the one with the purple hair sitting next to the tall one with half his chest exposed? The purple haired one is Haechan and the tall one is Johnny. Mark is the one on the stool to the left, just ask Haechan for his age first, Mark will be the one to laugh the loudest,â he quickly explained. âYou know them quite well,â you said, trying to fight the heat spreading across your cheeks because it didnât happen any day that you were in such a close proximity to a handsome man like Lucas. âI went to school with Mark,â he shrugged, letting you go when Kun yelled that his order was ready.
Before walking up to their table you took another deep breath to calm your furiously beating heart, repeating in your head how no one had been mean to you yet and that all your coworkers kept on telling you how nice they were supposed to be. âHi everyone,â you greeted them when you arrived at the table, âHave you already decided what you want to order?â Seeing the chaos that the group was already in, half of them probably didnât even notice that you had arrived at the table. âGuys!â The pink haired man wearing the harness type thing scolded the others that were bickering in the back of the little booth on the couch. âIâm sorry, they usually behave better,â he smiled and his big eyes combined with his pink hair made him look like he came straight out of an animation. âIâm Taeyong by the way,â the pink haired man supplied, flashing you a genuine smile, âYouâre new here, right? I havenât seen you around before.â âToday is my first day,â you nodded, cheeks heating up under the gaze of the handsome man, nervously playing with your little notepad. âLetâs order, guys!â Taeyong said, the others slowly turning their attention towards you. How all of them were this handsome was beyond your imagination. Shyly you introduced yourself as their waiter for the night for the second time and asked for their orders. One after the other they either ordered plain beer or some really extraordinary cocktails that you had never heard of before. When the purple haired boy, Haechan, ordered his cocktail, you took a deep breath before putting on your best poker face. âCould I see your ID to check your age first?â
As soon as the words had left your lips, the whole table fell dead silent and the boyâs mouth dropped open in surprise. But before you could lose your courage to mutter an apology, the boy that had greeted Lucas loudly before, burst out in laughter, that the others minus Haechan quickly joined and even you couldnât hold back the grin that spread over your face. âNow that I think about it, could I see yours as well?â You followed up and asked the dark haired boy with the infectious laugh, whose eyes immediately turned into saucers, his mouth wide open while the others couldnât hold their laughs anymore, the purple haired boy joining in now. âIâm sorry,â you giggled, turning to the last man to order when they all had calmed down, using the napkins on the table to exaggeratedly wipe their tears. âWhat can I get you?â When the man with the dark hair that was elegantly swept back from his face turned towards you, you could swear that time stilled for a moment. His dark eyes that were accentuated with a bit of eyeshadow fixed yours and you were captivated, unable to look away. When your eyes dipped lower for a second you could see the black ink of a tattoo on the pale skin of his neck. He seemed familiar but you couldnât quite tell why. Maybe you had seen him around on campus. But even then you should have been able to tell because that tattoo really wasnât subtle at all. Briefly you were wondering if he could ever work a normal job with something like that. âI think Iâll just start with a beer as well,â he spoke softly, his voice a deep rumble, tearing you from your thoughts. After you had definitely stared at him for way too long than it would have been acceptable, you tore your gaze away from him, quickly scribbling down his order as well, repeating what you had written down for the others to confirm.
âGreat, then Iâll be back in a bit with your drinks,â you smiled, after one of them had insisted that they should get a round of shots as well. âCanât wait,â the tall one with the eagle tattoo on his chest said with a smirk on his lips, adding a cheesy wink that made you way more flustered than you would have liked. You quickly turned to hide your heated face, speed walking back over to the bar to put their order down. âDid you do it?â Lucas eagerly asked, bouncing up and down in excitement where he was helping to dry some glasses behind the counter. âWhereâs my money?â You grinned, holding out your palm towards him. âWaaa, you really did it,â he grinned while bouncing up and down excitedly and you could barely hold in the urge to coo at him. He really did resemble an oversized puppy. You barely knew him for more than a couple of hours but he already had wiggled his way into your heart.
âLucas, you didnât tell us such a pretty girl would be serving us tonight,â a smooth male voice suddenly interrupted. When you turned around, the tall man from the 127 gang (Were they a gang? Did they do illegal stuff?) came walking up to the counter, leaning against the polished wood. âSheâs new here, I didnât know either,â Lucas pouted, already grabbing two shot glasses to put up on the bar top, putting the third one back down when you shook your head. You werenât going to drink on your first day of work even though it seemed to be normal when you watched Lucas fill up the two glasses with a shady looking liquid from an unlabeled bottle he had grabbed from below the counter. Clinking their glasses together both men drowned their shots and while the tall biker didnât even flinch, Lucas broke out into a whole body shiver, squeezing his eyes shut. âThis stuff is really fucking disgusting,â he grimaced before refilling one of the shot glasses again, shoving it in front of the other man again, âI donât know how Ten manages to make these concoctions.â Grinning, the man in question suddenly appeared and snatched the shot glass from below the otherâs fingers, drowning it himself. The blonde only grimaced a little. âI gotta say, Iâve made better stuff but also definitely worse. Lucas, we need a new keg of beer, can you please get one from the back, youâre so much stronger than I am,â Ten pouted, batting his lashes at Lucas and rubbing one of his hands over the otherâs muscled arms. âBe nice to her,â Lucas told the man with the big tattoo on his chest and quickly disappeared to the back.
âIâm Johnny by the way,â he introduced himself, running a hand through his dark red hair. âSo youâre the one who asked Lucas to embarrass your friends,â you remembered, your eyes getting caught on the intricate feathers of the eagle that spread its wings over Johnnyâs broad chest. He smirked when your eyes came back up to meet his. âThat would be me. You like the tattoo?â âIt looks nice,â you mumbled, embarrassed at being caught staring, âItâs not something you see every day.â âI have some other ones that are pretty interesting as well,â he winked. âSu-Sure,â you stuttered, feeling your face heat up for what must have been the millionth time this night. âYouâre cute,â Johnny laughed, the sound bright and inviting, his eyes turning into little crescents. âWhat did you come over for? Did I miss something on the order?â You tried to move the conversation in a direction you were a little (a lot) more comfortable with. âI just thought I could put my muscles to use and help you carry our drinks, we ordered quite a lot. Also I still owe you money for pulling that prank on Mark and Haechan. Even though their faces were priceless.â âHow old are they anyways?â You asked him because you didnât actually ended up looking at their IDs and Haechan especially did seem quite young. Digging out his worn out wallet, Johnny fished out a twenty dollar bill and teasingly held it up between two fingers. âTheyâre both of age, donât worry, they just have baby faces.â
Snatching the bill from his hands, you quickly stuffed it in your pocket. âThank you,â you grinned, relieved that it really had just been a prank between friends. âHow old are you then?â You heard yourself asking after you had glanced at the tray that Ten had been filling up, but a couple of glasses were still missing. The weird cocktails seemed to take quite some time to make (Why there was celery swimming in what looked like tomato juice was a mystery to you). âLetâs pretend Iâm in my early twenties,â Johnny grinned, his long fingers playing with the cherries that were stuck to the rim of one of the cocktail glasses. âPretend?â You were confused. He couldnât be much older than you were. âItâs improper for old men like me to flirt with such pretty young girls after all,â he winked and stuck out his tongue. âYou⊠You canât be much older than me though,â you argued, trying to fight your shyness back down. But your furiously beating heart was betraying you. Luckily he couldnât notice that from his place where he was still leaning against the counter, the long line of his body perfectly shown off; his legs seemed almost endlessly long in the heavy leather pants. Chuckling, he raked his eyes across your body in a similar way you must have seconds ago but you felt like you were burning up wherever he was looking. Within the blink of an eye he was in your personal space, crowding you against the bar. âIâm 25,â he breathed, âHow long do you have to work today, honey?â
Before you could even think of an answer, Johnny was shoved backwards by another man dressed completely in black. You recognized him as one of the men from Johnnyâs gang, the one with the neck tattoo that had seemed weirdly familiar to you. âLeave her alone, Johnny,â he drawled, his voice barely more than a growl, âThereâs someone waiting for you outside.â After a moment of heavy eye contact between the two males, Johnny scoffed and threw you another smile. âSee you later, darling,â he chirped before turning towards the exit. âIâm sorry if he made you uncomfortable, he doesnât know when to stop sometimes,â the handsome man spoke, his voice still deep but way less threatening. âItâs⊠Itâs fine you wouldnât have needed to step in like that,â you reassured him, âBut thank you.â âYeah, I donât know, something just didnât sit right with me when he crowded you like that. Especially when youâre new to this type of environment, itâs pretty different from your usual job.â âMy usual job?â You asked, clearly confused, âDo we know each other?â âOh, Iâm sorry, I thought you had recognized me,â the manâs eyes widened in surprise and he averted his gaze as if he was embarrassed. âIâm Jaehyun. You know, the dude who keeps killing his plants.â Now it was your turn to be surprised. âNo way. You look so different.â âItâs the clothes, right?â Jaehyun was rubbing the intricate lines of ink on his neck, looking up from between his dark lashes, smiling shyly and now that his dimples were almost showing, you did finally recognize him.
He was somewhat of a regular customer at the flower shop you worked in during the week to help out the old lady who owned the shop, always coming in to buy new plants when he had managed to kill yet another one. Now in the heavy leather jacket with more buckles and straps than you could count, he looked so different than when he came to the shop, his dark hair fluffy so his bangs almost covered his eyes and wearing soft sweaters and jeans. You also somehow had never noticed the big tattoo that stretched around his neck.
You could remember the first time he came into the shop very vividly. It was just after your break that you had spent lazing around in the backyard of the shop in front of the little greenhouse, letting the sun shine onto your face, just basking in the moment for a bit, letting all your worries about money or upcoming exams melt away. The job at the little flower job didnât pay very well because people these days bought less and less flowers and the old lady couldnât afford to pay more but you couldnât just leave her alone in the shop. You really enjoyed her presence and learning about the language of flowers and how to bind pretty bouquets. When the distant chirping of the old cuckoo clock in the shop announced the end of your break, you got up from your place and put your apron back on, so you wouldnât accidentally dirty your clothes. You came back into the shop just in time to see the big load of new plants that was being delivered. Two boys were unloading a colorful truck while continuously bickering in what seemed to be Chinese about where to put the plants in the shop and on the sidewalk outside so people could still walk past. âUrgh, this sucks why did we let us get talked into helping out?â The one with green hair sighed after they had put the last plant down, handing the old lady the papers she had to sign that the shipment had arrived at her place. She chuckled while handing the papers back. âIâve made some iced tea, have a little break, boys,â she smiled her kind, wrinkled smile at them, taking them to the little kitchen area in the back to pour each one of them a glass even though the smaller of them had declined her offer at least ten times while his green haired friend gladly took her invitation.
Smiling you reassured the old lady that you would rearrange the flowers and plants so you could fit them all into the shop and the small greenhouse in the back. Maybe her grandson would come in later to help you move the heavier plants. He always came to the shop to laze around without having his parents scold him and his grandmother could never say no to his charming smile that made any girl his age swoon. He had recently dyed his hair a soft pinkish shade and had been hanging around the shop a lot more because his parents werenât quite fond of his style choices. You gently stroked the leaves of the little pink rose bushes (that had kind of reminded you of the boy in the first place) that seemed rather thirsty to you, making a mental note to water them lots after you had arranged them.
While rearranging the cut roses so you could fit the new bushes in between them, the little bell on the door rang, announcing the arrival of a customer. âIâll be right over,â you said, detangling yourself from the bush you had tried to fit in the display window. âNo need to hurry,â the customer answered with a deep voice. It wasnât often that men visited your store. And most times they just wanted a quick, expensive looking bouquet to either impress a girl or to apologize to their wife. Putting on your best customer friendly smile, you walked over to where the man was eyeing some cherry tree bonsais, his broad back turned towards you. âHow can I help you?â When the man turned around, he immediately politely smiled at you, making your heart beat pick up just a little. He was definitely attractive, you couldnât deny that. His dark hair was unstyled and hung into his eyes a bit, covering his strong eyebrows that every girl would be envious over. He seemed young, about your age. The pale blue hoodie and the fluffy hair made him seem very soft and gentle despite his strong jawline and prominent cheekbones. âWell Iâve moved into a new space and it looks a little empty, so I thought some plants might be the way to fix that,â he explained, fiddling with the hem of his slightly oversized hoodie. âThatâs a great idea,â you beamed, trying to seem reassuring since he seemed rather nervous, âDo you have anything special in mind?â âNo, I really donât but those roses you just put in the display window look very pretty, itâs what made me come in,â he said, motioning to where you had been fighting with the roses earlier. âRoses need a lot of attention though,â you warned him, walking over to where you had tucked the little bushes into a corner. âI have a lot of time and like a good challenge,â he answered, a grin tugging at his lips, a set of dimples just barely showing, âYouâre bleeding by the way.â He added, gently touching your hand. Startled, you jerked away, heat licking at your cheeks. âOh, Iâm sorry,â he quickly apologized, âBut you should bandage that or it might get infected if something gets into the wound.â âDonât worry, itâs not even that deep,â you concluded after examining the small cut on the back of your hand where you had lost the battle with one of the thorns. You quickly shot the man another smile that you hoped was reassuring.
âSo do any of those roses look good to you?â âThe pale orange ones look nice.â You couldnât hold back a small giggle. âWhatâs so funny?â He asked, his beautiful brows drawn together in confusion. âThe color is called peach,â you still giggled, grabbing the pot to show him the petals in the sunlight. âWell it is orange though,â he shrugged. âMen and colors,â you sighed dramatically but couldnât help the smile spreading on your lips, âYou like them and want to try caring for them?â âYeah, letâs try it. Anything I should look out for?â While walking up to the cash register and ringing him up, you briefly explained how to take care of the roses the best.
âI hope they brighten up your room a bit,â you smiled when he had paid. âThe visit sure brightened up my day,â he replied smiling widely, the set of cute dimples reappearing on his cheeks. Before you could overcome your sudden shyness to reply anything, he had already wished you a good day and disappeared from the shop. Â
After his visit, the man had crept back into your mind a couple of times. Every time you watered the little twin of the rose bush he had bought, it somehow reminded you of his sweet dimpled smile and his deep, soothing voice. You always scolded yourself when you noticed how you were spacing out, in fact watering the floor instead of the little rose bushes how you were supposed to. (You had been made fun of by a certain pink haired boy one too many times lately.) Your boss had just smiled knowingly and pressed a little bouquet with beautiful yellow Chrysanthemums in the middle, when you had closed up the shop, making your face heat up and furiously deny everything. But like always, the old lady knew you probably better than you knew yourself.
The second time the handsome stranger had visited the shop, he had been wearing a white turtle neck and a simple denim jacket, his hair pushed back with a dark blue hat. âHello again,â he greeted you, gently smiling when he walked up to the counter where you were currently binding a bouquet with a couple of big purple hyacinths, âIâll have a little look around. No need to hurry that.â Even though you tried to concentrate on arranging the flowers in the bouquet and picking smaller flowers that would look good with the big center piece, you kept glancing over to the man who was sniffing different flowers, quietly sneezing when he inhaled too deeply.
âThose are really pretty,â he said after he had not so subtly watched you work for a while from his place between the brightly colored geraniums while walking up to the counter. âThe man who commissioned them paid a lot of money for them to look pretty,â you smiled, gently tucking smaller white flowers all around the big purple ones in the middle. âDoes it mean anything? Iâve never seen this kind of flower,â he asked, seeming genuinely interested. âYouâre interested in the language of flowers?â You asked, securely tying the bouquet together, placing them in a vase for the time being. âWhat languages would flowers speak?â The man asked, sounding genuinely confused. For a moment you could just stare at him, his dark brown eyes widened and his mouth slightly ajar, before you burst out in a fit of giggles. âHey! Whatâs so funny?â He asked, trying to sound offended but he couldnât fight the smile that spread across his lips. âThey donât speak any language, silly. The different types of flowers mean different things. I donât know all of it but the owner of the shop has been teaching me some of it,â you explained to him. âOoh, that makes a lot more sense,â he nodded, âWhat do those mean then?â âTheyâre hyacinths. The man told me he needed to apologize to his girlfriend. The purple ones stand for sorrow. I doubt she will notice though.â âProbably not,â he chuckled. âWhat did the rose mean I bought last time? The peach one?â âIâm not quite sure, Iâll ask my boss when sheâs back. What brings you back here?â âWell,â he scratched the back of his head and averted his eyes, âI need a new plant, the rose was  kind of a lot more work than I thought it was.â
âOh no.â You felt genuinely sad. You kind of had expected it not to go well but this was honestly a lot faster than you could have imagined. âI should have listened to you when you told me that they were a lot, Iâm sorry,â he apologized, âBut I really want to try to keep a plant alive. She looked really good for the time she was alive.â âShe?â âWell I gave her a name.â You giggled again. âThatâs really cute.â âNot as cute as you though.â It was suddenly so silent in the shop, the only noise the soft buzzing sound coming from the air-conditioning. You stared into the manâs eyes, expecting a his face to heat up in a similar fashion yours was, to see a blush creep up his face or his ears, but his face stayed perfectly pale, not a single blotch of color visible. But he had to be embarrassed as well if the way he was chewing on his lips was any sign. âIâm sorry, that just slipped,â he mumbled. âI⊠Shouldnât you at least tell me your name before you start complimenting me like that?â You stuttered when you found your voice again. âJaehyun,â he supplied, still awkwardly shuffling around, âItâs Jaehyun.â âAlright Jaehyun, letâs find you a new plant thatâs not as easy to kill.
From that day onward Jaehyun came to the shop somewhat regularly, either announcing the death of yet another plant or telling you how they were on the brink of death and he didnât know how it happened or what to do to save them. You were really close to either tell him to stick to bouquets or cacti but when you were being honest, you enjoyed his little visits. Heâd stay longer and longer every time, telling you little stories about how he suspected that his roommates were secretly killing all the plants. In turn you told him about your boring life between your classes and your job. And sometimes you even taught him about the language of flowers while he was watching you put together a bouquet for yet another desperate boyfriend.
One visit in particular had stuck with you for some reason. Your whole day had just been bad: One of your professors had caught you slacking off in class and called you out in front of everyone, then at lunch a guy had run into you, making you drop half your food on the floor and then it had started to rain on your way to work. And if that wasnât enough, the old lady hadnât been feeling well because of the sudden change in weather and you had sent her off into her apartment that was above the shop, so she could rest. So now you were just alone in the shop, watching the people outside hurry past the shop with their umbrellas. When it was raining even less people were coming into the shop because you couldnât put any plants outside that often lured people in. Sighing, you continued with the inventory that you had started out of boredom. Of course you also hadnât brought any useful books, so you could have studied a little.
You must have been deep in thought, moping about how much this day sucked, that you didnât hear the little bell on the door ringing. So when someone touched your arm to get your attention, you of course were startled and let out a small scream before you lost your balance on the stepladder that you had used to count the spare pots on a higher shelf. And if that wasnât enough, you also pushed one of said pots down as well. But before you could even brace yourself for the fall, a strong arm had wrapped around you, saving you from crashing down onto the floor and possibly cracking your head open. When you opened your eyes, that you had screwed shut, you saw straight into Jaehyunâs deep brown eyes that were full of concern. âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to scare you,â he spoke softly and you could feel how his voice rumbled in his chest from how close he was holding you to his body. âItâs alright, itâs my fault anyways. I wasnât paying attention,â you sighed, slowly realizing in what kind of situation you and Jaehyun were in right now. His face was so close to yours that you could almost count every single one of his long, dark eyelashes. You could even see the faintest little blush spreading over his cheeks and your own face immediately felt hot as well.
Jaehyun just smiled and released you from his grip, gently setting the pot he somehow had managed to catch with his other hand back onto the shelf. He really must have incredible reflexes and obviously the most charming smile you had ever seen. âDonât blame yourself, you donât look too good today,â he spoke softly. âWow thanks,â you sarcastically said, sighing theatrically while running your hands through your hair in an attempt to smooth it out, but probably messing it up further than it already was. âHard day?â You snorted. Hard was an understatement. It sucked. But a little voice in the back of your head whispered that now that Jaehyun had come to visit you in the shop, it would get better. âYou look like you could use a hug,â he smiled and opened his arms invitingly.
Before you could even think twice about it, you wound your arms around his middle and squeezed him tightly, burying your face in the soft fabric of his cardigan that he wore over one of his many turtlenecks. Chuckling, he grabbed the fabric and stretched it around you, so you were basically wrapped up in it against his chest, before wrapping you up in his strong arms. You were drowning in his by now familiar scent and the way his chest steadily rose and fell with his breath made all stress from your body slowly dissolve. âIf you keep holding me like this I will cry,â you mumbled, trying to untangle yourself from him. âI donât mind, you know? Sometimes you just have to cry to let all the stress out,â he assured you, rubbing soothing circles on your back. âDonât say that, I will ugly cry in your shirt,â you hiccupped, âI barely know you.â âOh I think you know me a lot better than a lot of people,â he smiled, âItâs an old shirt anyways.â âLiar, Iâve never seen you wear this before.â âYouâre keeping track?â He chuckled. âThatâs not what I meant by that,â you mumbled, feeling shy suddenly because how could you not keep track when he just effortlessly looked infuriatingly good every time he walked into the shop.
âYou feeling better now?â Jaehyun gently asked after you two had fallen silent, just basking in each otherâs presence. He gently tilted your head back from where you had buried it in his neck, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. âYeah,â you breathed, captivated by him. You had never noticed the tiny mole he had on one of his cheeks but you found it really endearing.  âGood,â he smiled, âI brought you coffee from the shop next door.â He motioned to the two cups he had placed on the counter next to the cash register. âYou have a heart of gold Jaehyun,â you confessed, a smile slowly spreading on your lips and your heartbeat picking up. You kept the thought that he probably would also make the perfect boyfriend, to yourself. Not that it would matter, you were sure he didnât see you like that. He just played it off, laughing awkwardly like he always did when he was embarrassed. (Coming to think of it, you really seemed to know him better than you had initially thought.) âLetâs drink it before it gets cold and you can tell me more about your day,â he offered and slowly loosened his arms around you. âCan you tell me about yours instead?â You asked with a small voice. âIâd rather forget all of this stupid day before you walked in here.â âOf course, darling,â he breathed. Your heart skipped a beat before doubling its pace when the pet name rolled of his tongue just like that. Maybe there was just the slightest little chance, he might consider you more than just the friend that worked in the flower shop that he had to visit to get advice on how to not kill his plants. Smiling you loosened your grip on him as well and you two sat down on the counter, dangling your legs and sipping the slightly cold coffee while you listened to Jaehyun ramble about the mess that were his flatmates. Until this day you hadnât figured out how many people he actually lived with but you couldnât help but smile at the little stories he told you. And even when he stopped talking, you just enjoyed the silence while watching the people outside. And maybe it was just your imagination but the umbrellas outside seemed just a little brighter with your head resting on Jaehyunâs broad shoulder.
âIâve never noticed your whole tattoo thing thatâs going on,â you said, motioning around your own neck when you came back from your fond memories of Jaehyun. âYeah, I try to not let it show as much usually,â he replied, almost nervously playing with the collar of his leather jacket. Â âDid it hurt a lot when you got it?â âYeah, the skin is kind of tender around your neck,â he answered, his gaze not meeting your eyes but fixating a point right behind you. âYou get that question a lot donât you?â you gently asked, fingers itching to reach out to touch him. âYeah, itâs all people talk about when they see it,â he shrugged, âIâm used to it by now.â âOh, Iâm sorry,â you quickly apologized. âItâs fine,â Jaehyun reassured you, gently grazing his fingers over your exposed forearm, making goose bumps break out over your skin. âYes, it did hurt. No I donât regret it. Yes I probably canât work a normal job if Iâm not wearing a turtleneck. No, I didnât get it in prison. It was done in a perfectly sanitary tattoo shop by a professional artist. No, Iâm not a criminalâ, he quickly addressed every typical question he apparently got about the tattoo in a single breath, a smile spreading on his lips, making his dimples appear and your heart beat faster.
âGlad to know I havenât been talking to a criminal over the past few weeks even though you did kill an unholy amount of plants,â you giggled, checking again if the order was ready only to find Ten engrossed in a conversation with a group of young men that were sitting at the bar, his work forgotten. âWell I guess I am guilty of that,â Jaehyun pouted and it was weirdly endearing seeing him act playful like that with his dark and intimidating clothing. âSo youâre not a criminal but a biker?â âIs that what you think our group is?â He asked, tilting his head to the side. âThatâs what everyone told me at least. And you do look the part.â âA couple of us do have bikes, but I donât think that justifies the title. Weâre just a,â he bit his tongue for a bit, âWeâre just friends. Friends who like to dress in a lot of leather and black clothing.â
It seemed to be a somewhat touchy subject so you decided to not push any further. âYou donât need to explain it to me,â you smiled reassuringly, quickly squeezing his cold hand. âJaehyun, stop flirting with my best waitress,â Kun teased, adding the little shot glasses to the second tray that completed the order. âI wasnât flirting, I-â but Jaehyun didnât complete his apology when Kun shot him a knowing look and your face heated up on his behalf because Jaehyun didnât blush like ever. âStop making excuses and help her carry all this back to the table,â the barman grinned, returning to his work by pulling Ten back by the hairs on his neck from where he was still talking to the handsome customers sitting at the bar. âI would appreciate some help, thatâs what Johnny came over for as well,â you tried to push past the awkwardness. âLike hell he was,â Jaehyun grumbled, grabbing the one of the trays maybe a tad too forceful than he needed to, the drinks almost spilling over. âDonât be angry with him, he was being nice,â you consoled him, gently petting his leather clad arm (wasnât he warm in that thick jacket?). âI saw just how nice he was being,â he sighed, rolling his shoulders, âHeâs such a goddamn flirt.â âNothing happened Jaehyun,â you tried one last time, looking into his dark eyes, getting lost in the seemingly bottomless obsidian.
Only the thud of the heavy entrance door made you snap out of it and you quickly turned to grab the second tray. You hadnât even noticed how you had gravitated towards Jaehyun, it was like his eyes had hypnotized you. âNeed another pair of helping hands?â A familiar voice asked and Johnny strode over towards you two again, now with an energetic bounce in his step, his red lips curved into a smile. âWeâve got it,â Jaehyun answered, scrunching his nose as if he had smelled something bad before taking a deep breath. âDonât wait too long, Jaehyun,â the taller said, his tone suddenly stern and his brows furrowed. âI can handle it, Johnny,â Jaehyun gritted out, shoving past the taller man to make his way over to the table where their friends were still waiting for their drinks. Sighing, you followed him back to the table. It was weird how different he was behaving with his friends around. You had never expected to meet him in any place outside of your job at the flower shop and much less in a place like this. The soft man who liked to wear denim jackets seemed to be buried beneath the heavy leather jacket.
âHereâs your drinks,â you smiled when you put the tray down to distribute the drinks. âYouâre not drinking with us?â A blonde man with a scratch in his eyebrow asked when everyone had picked up their shot glasses. âItâs my first day, I donât think itâs a good idea,â you politely declined his offer. âIâm sure Ten and Kun wonât mind,â he grinned, lifting up his own glass to hand it over to you. âShe said no, didnât you hear, Yuta?â Jaehyun growled and shot his friend a dark look. Unfazed by his behavior, the blonde - Yuta - shrugged his shoulders before drowning his shot himself, not grimacing in the slightest even though the liquid had a questionable amount of alcohol in it, judging by the numbers that had been printed on the label. âBut Iâm sure we can treat you to something else,â he spoke, before shifting in his seat so his poorly buttoned sleeveless shirt fell open even further, revealing smooth skin that stretched over lean muscles and a promise of something metal hidden beneath. âI-â, you stuttered. What were you supposed to reply to something like that? âYouâre shameless,â one of his dark haired friends chuckled, a silver chain glistening in the light when he shook his head. âItâs called confidence,â Yuta defeated himself. âStill shameless,â another one agreed, a grin on his face. âHe hasnât had a good lay in a while, donât mind him,â Taeyong cut in, shooting you a reassuring smile. âCertainly not because I didnât had any offers, Iâm just picky,â Yuta tried to defend himself, looking scandalized. You just giggled when the otherâs started picking on him. You noticed that Jaehyun didnât join in but his posture was more relaxed than it had been before. You really wanted to thank him for defending your choice to not drink but now didnât seem appropriate. Silently you collected the now empty shot glasses and picked the trays back up. âIâll be back to check in with you later then,â you smiled before walking back to the counter after checking in with a couple of other tables.
The rest of the night went down in a blur safe for the one occasion where the slender Ten indeed threw out one of the customers that couldnât hold his liquor anymore and had fallen when he had tried to walk over to the bar to order more because Lucas had already refused to bring him any more drinks. The times when you had checked in on the 127 table, Yuta had still flirted with you only to be either shot down by Jaehyun or Taeyong. You had also noticed that over the course of the night one or two of them would always leave the bar for a couple of minutes before coming back inside with a new energy and a faint blush on their cheeks. You didnât know what they did out there but you really hoped they didnât do drugs or anything like that. They didnât seem as intoxicated as the other customers no matter how much they ordered. If anything Mark was getting giggly after he had come back inside but that was pretty much everything. They all must have incredible tolerance for alcohol.
When the night died down and more and more customers were leaving, Kun waved you over to tell you that you had been a great help and he would be more than happy to see you again tomorrow for your next shift. You had beamed at him and promised to do your best. âIâm sure you will. Thank you for today, I think Lucas and I can handle the remaining customers,â he told you. âWhatâs with Ten?â You asked. You hadnât seen him in a while. Kun just sighed and motioned to the 127 table where Ten comfortably sat on Johnnyâs lap, the taller carding through the blondeâs hair that he had freed from the little ponytail. âAre they a thing?â You were confused. Johnny hadnât been subtle about his flirting earlier. âNo one really knows,â Kun groaned, suddenly seeming very irritated, âItâs been happening more lately but last week he went home with Taeyong as far as I remember.â âOhâŠâ âDonât think about it too much. I want to say that he knows what heâs doing but that would mean that heâs actually using his brain.â Somehow you thought that he sounded sad. âJust tell Ten that you like him, Kun,â Lucas groaned, running a hand through his by now messy platinum hair. âI donât like him,â the elder gritted out, violently cleaning glasses and slamming them onto a rack to dry. âSure and Iâve never thought about making out with any of your roommates,â Lucas teased him. âYou have what?â âNever mind I said that,â Lucas mumbled, his ears turning red, before he made a beeline to one of his tables.
You chuckled quietly. âI think heâs fond of you as well,â you softly spoke after Kun had thrown another longing look at Ten who was busy admiring the eagle tattoo on Johnnyâs chest. âYou donât need to console me, but I appreciate it,â he smiled but it didnât quiet reach his eyes, âI came to accept him how he is.â âYou should at least try to shoot you shout though, donât you think?â You tried again, stepping closer to the barman to help him clean the last glasses. He sighed deeply. âIâve known Ten for too long now, I know he wonât suddenly become monogamous just because I tell him that I might not dislike him as much as I sometimes say.â âYou can never know for sure, people do crazy stuff because of love,â a deep voice joined the conversation and Jaehyun sat down on the barstool in front of Kun and you, throwing you a quick smile. âHeâs right,â you smiled, briefly squeezing Kunâs hand. âIf I say that Iâll think about it, will you leave it alone for now?â You eagerly nodded, looking up at Jaehyun to see if he was doing the same. Instead a smirk played on his lips. âIf you give me my drinks for free, Iâll even tell Johnny to not take Ten home tonight,â he grinned, holding up his card between two fingers. âYouâre paying for everyone?â Kun just gritted out, snatching the card from the otherâs fingers. Jaehyunâs grin widened before he nodded. âIsnât that going to be a lot of money?â You asked worriedly. You had never asked but assumed Jaehyun must be a student like you, so paying the whole bill for nine men (well eight if Kun was giving Jaehyun his own drinks for free) was a lot. âI lost at rock paper scissors,â he shrugged, âAre you done with your shift?â
âShe is,â Kun cut in, smacking the credit card back onto the bartop, âTell Johnny to send him home, Iâm not feeding his cats again because theyâre screaming for food.â âSure. Thatâs the only reason,â Jaehyun joked, pocketing his card with a grin. Kun didnât answer, instead leaving you two alone to wipe some empty tables. âAre you going home alone?â âItâs not far from here,â you reassured the dark haired man. âIâll walk you. You shouldnât go alone this late.â âOnly if itâs not a bother for youâŠâ âKeeping you safe is never a bother for me,â he smiled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and you barely suppressed a shiver from how cold his hands were against your heated face. âIâll tell the otherâs not to wait for me and will wait outside for you,â he softly spoke before turning to walk out the door where his friends apparently had already left.
You quickly gathered your things and sorted out your tips from the rest of the money, putting everything back into the place that Lucas had shown you before disappearing into the staff room to stuff the money into your designated tip jar, so Lucas and you could share your tips with Ten and Kun. While you were quickly trying to fix your hair in the small mirror a very grumpy looking Ten joined you, groaning loudly. You had to suppress your smile. Jaehyun really had convinced Johnny to not take Ten home. âMen are trash, honey,â the blonde suddenly spoke, âDonât fall for any of them.â âDid you get dumped?â You tried to act like you didnât exactly knew what must have happened. âCanât get dumped if you arenât dating,â Ten chirped, smoothing out a wrinkle in his silky blouse, âBut something similar.â âIâm sorry.â âNo need to be darling, Iâll just annoy Kun a little more, maybe heâll actually pop a vein these days,â he giggled mischievously. âBe nice to him, he seems like an actual sweetheart,â you said while slipping on your jacket and picking up your bag. âHe is, darling. But whereâs the fun in that?â Ten held the door open for you and followed you back to the main room. âBe safe on your way home.â âJaehyun is waiting outside for me,â you admitted, suddenly feeling shy under Tenâs intense gaze. âSo thatâs why Johnny wouldnât take me with him,â he grinned. âNo, no thatâs not it. He just offered to walk me home,â you stuttered to explain yourself. It wasnât like what Ten thought it was, right? Oh god. Not that Jaehyun was expecting anything now. He just had asked to walk you home though. Was it a code word for something you didnât know? âIâm sure he only has the most noble motives,â the barkeeper snickered, âGo, donât let prince charming wait for too long.â With that he waved you off, walking over to where Kun was wiping a table to drape his body over the otherâs back, probably complaining about being dumped. But Kun didnât seem to mind a whole lot, judging by the smile that tugged on the corners of his lips.
After you had barely escaped Xuxiâs suffocating goodbye hug, you stepped outside into the cold night, taking a deep breath. It was quiet for a Friday night but that might have just been the time. Worried you looked around when you couldnât see Jaehyunâs broad figure anywhere. Did he ditch you? That didnât seem like him. Curious you looked into the little ally beside the bar where the dumpsters were. At first you couldnât make out anything in the dark but when your eyes had adjusted, you could make out a figure, no two, in the dark. One of them was wearing a familiar leather jacket with way too many buckles and straps to be convenient. The man was clinging to the second, unmoving figure and the whole scene made Goosebumps break out all over your body.
âJ-Jaehyun?â you stuttered, your bag falling from your shoulder, landing on the concrete with a soft thud. As if he was electrocuted, the man with the dark clothes shoved the limp body he was holding onto just a second ago away from him, but no sound left the other manâs lips, nor did his facial expression change in any way. âI can explain this,â Jaehyun said, his lips a deep red and smeared with what seemed to be blood and eyes wide, tinted a bright crimson. You felt a shiver run down your spine, the scream that had been stuck in your throat threatening to spill now. But before it could rip free, a palm was pressed over your lips and your body collided with Jaehyunâs solid frame. âPlease donât scream,â he whispered in your ear which made all the hairs on your neck stand up. What was happening? Why was there blood on Jaehyun? Has his eyes changed color? How did he get across to you within the blink of an eye? What was with the other person? In a panic, your eyes scanned the alleyway and another muffled scream ripped from your throat when you saw that the man was still unmoving even though he was bleeding from a wound in his neck. âPlease,â Jaehyun begged, his voice sounding strained, âLet me explain this, donât hate me.â Being pressed so close to him, you couldnât help but notice that his chest wasnât moving in the slightest like it should if he was breathing. What was happening? Panic began to rise inside you and you felt like you were suffocating, your lungs not getting enough oxygen with Jaehyunâs palm pressed over your mouth. Panicking, you grabbed his wrist and let your nails dig into his skin, but the skin didnât break. Desperate, you tried to get more air into your lungs, meeting his eyes in a silent plea. âPlease donât scream,â Jaehyun repeated firmly before he slowly freed your mouth, but kept holding you close.
You heaved a couple of heavy breaths, feeling the panic slowly disappear but your heart kept beating furiously, the adrenaline coursing through your veins making you dizzy. âLet me take care of this and Iâll explain everything, I promise,â Jaehyun spoke once your breathing had somewhat evened out. âIâll release you now, donât run away.â Your voice was still lost somewhere, so you just nodded. After confirming with a nod himself, he slowly uncurled from you and walked over to the other man who was still in a daze, staring straight ahead. âYou will walk home now and not remember anything that happened from the moment you saw me approach you,â Jaehyun spoke to him, looking into his eyes intensely and if your own eyes werenât playing a trick on you, Jaehyunâs eyes had turned a bright crimson color. He leaned into the other man again where his neck was still bleeding and when the man turned to leave and walk away, the area was clean. Instead Jaehyunâs lips were smeared with blood that he quickly wiped into his shirt. âWhat the fuck, Jaehyun?â You whispered, your voice sounding raw as if you hadnât spoken in hours.
âI can explain this,â he repeated again, turning his palms towards you in surrender when he walked back over. âHow can you explain this? You- That- That man was straight up hypnotized and behaved like an actual puppet. And that blood. This is crazy. Iâm dreaming. Thatâs it right? Or someone must have slipped me something in the bar and Iâm tripping right now. Because this looks an awful lot like you just sucked that guyâs blood like youâre a vampire and thatâs crazy. Vampires arenât real. And Iâve seen you walk around in the middle of the day. But then again, your hands are always cold and I couldnât even scratch you with my nails and you have mad reflexes,â you started to spiral, the words just falling from your lips. âHey, take a breath. A deep breath, here,â Jaehyun softly spoke, gently taking your hands and pressing the palms on his chest, taking a deep breath himself.  Even though you tried to breathe with him to calm down, you couldnât help but notice that his fingers werenât as cold as they had been before and that you couldnât feel his heartbeat despite the fact that your palm was sitting right over his heart, just separated by his thin black shirt from the skin. âYou⊠You donât have a heartbeat,â you whispered, your eyes searching his that were a perfectly normal deep brown shade now while you pressed your palms down on his chest harder. âI donât,â he spoke carefully, scanning your features for any changes, âI havenât had one for a while.â âYou arenât breathing right now.â âI donât need to. I keep forgetting.â âYou⊠Youâre forgetting to breathe?â âI usually do when Iâm around humans but sometimes I forget.â âYou say that as if youâre notâŠâ You couldnât finish the sentence, it was too absurd. âAs if Iâm not human myself? Iâm not. Not anymore.â âThen what are you?â âYouâve said it before, Iâm a vampire,â he confessed.
âA vampireâŠâ You repeated dumbfounded. It made sense, everything was adding up but this couldnât be the explanation. Vampires were just made up. âAnd the others are too, theyâre my coven. Thatâs why I didnât want Johnny to talk to you.â âWould he have..?â Your eyes widened and one of your hands flew to your neck, covering where your pulse was fluttering beneath the skin. âIâm not going to hurt you, I could never,â Jaehyun whispered when he saw the fear in your eyes, gently cupping your face as if to prove his point. âI like you way too much to hurt you. And I wonât let anyone of the others even lay a finger on you.â Your eyes immediately flew to his lips that were still stained red when he leaned in even closer so you would be able to feel his breath mingling with yours if he was breathing. âI really want to kiss you right now, is that stupid?â The vampire whispered. âDonât hurt me,â you whispered back, letting your eyes fall shut. âI could never,â he breathed before brushing his lips against yours in a chaste kiss that send sparks through your whole body. When Jaehyun felt you relax against him, your fingers uncurling from his shirt, he kissed you again, firmer this time, wrapping his arms tight around you as if he was afraid that you would disappear.
When you felt your head start to get light, you gently tapped his strong chest and he immediately retreated, looking at you with a worried expression. âOne of us still needs to breathe,â you giggled breathless. âIâm sorry,â he smiled, carding his fingers through your hair, just watching you breathe for a moment, losing himself in your eyes.
âI have another secret to tell you,â Jaehyun broke the silence, his dimpled smile lighting up his face. âI donât think you can shock me anymore,â you smiled back. âI didnât actually kill any of the plants I bought. I just needed to have a reason to keep seeing you. Our house looks like a jungle.â You couldnât stop giggling, leaning into his (not moving) chest that rumbled with his low chuckle. âYouâre cute,â you smiled, snaking your arms around his waist below his jacket, somehow not even missing the warmth that bodies usually gave off. âShut up,â he chuckled, wrapping you up in a tight hug. âYou want to know something else?â You whispered into his chest after a while. The vampire just hummed, gently swaying you. âI looked up what the rose meant that you bought when you first came into the shop⊠You wanna know what it stands for?â Jaehyun hummed again. âIt stands for immortality.â This time it was Jaehyun who was laughing, holding your body tighter to steady himself.
#jaehyun#jung jaehyun#jaehyun fluff#jaehyun scenarios#jaehyun imagines#nct#nct 127#jaehyun fic#nct scenarious#nct imagines#nct fluff
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Season Two Episode Ranking
Warning: I get very, very, very, critical in this ranking. Like, angry ranting thatâs almost laughable. Should I be getting this worked up over an online series? Eh, probably not. But this is my life and Iâll get outrageously angry over whatever media I want.Â
Seriously though, this is all just my personal opinion. Iâm not saying you have to agree with me and if you like the episodes that I donât then thatâs perfectly fine.Â
I tend to overthink things a lot and I spend most of my time analyzing every little details of this series because what else am I supposed to do at work?
So yeah, this ranking is definitely less positive than the one I did for the first season. But I hope yâall can still have some fun going over it! And if anyone does their own rankings be sure to tag me because Iâd love to see them and see how mine compare!Â
Anyways, enough of me acting like this is more important than it is, on with the ranking!Â
I canât believe season two only has 12 episodes. Now I went ahead and counted Moving On as one episode in this ranking since my opinions on both parts are pretty similar, but sweet cheese and fish this season started on September 1st, 2017 with Fitting in and right now is left on Putting Others First which came out on May 1st, 2020. And as of me writing this it is now May 2nd, 2021. Itâs been a whole year since the last episode and we still have no idea when the finale is coming.Â
Like, bruh.Â
Also remember how the longest episode in season one was only about 15 minutes long and the shortest one was barely four minutes?Â
Well the shortest episode in season two is Crofters- The Musical which is 8:42 seconds. The longest episode is Putting Others First which is a whopping 51:09.
And I wish I could say that the writing was on the same level it was in the first season, but thereâs a reason I put that warning up there.Â
Well, enough stalling, letâs get this ball rolling.
#11 Embarrassing Phases
There are no words in the English language that can describe the sheer amount of hatred I have for this episode. If I could rank this any lower, I would, which will happen once we finally get the season finale. I don't know how that episode will go but it'll definitely be better than whatever dumpster fire this was.
Like, okay. I have some positives. Roman, Patton, and Virgil's costumes were cool. I won't lie I live for vampire Virgil. And the message about embracing your past "phases" and exploring how they helped made you who you are. That's neat. I like that.
And that's it.
My biggest gripe with this episode is Virgil. He just acts like a complete bitch in this! And I don't mean that in an endearing way he's literally so mean for no reason!
He's all "You guys are trivializing my past!"
In response to them going "Hey Virgil, we're glad you're part of our group now and are proud of how far you've come!"
Like okay, even if it was insensitive to call it a "phase" literally there was no reason for him to get as angry as he did.
Just a simple; "Hey, I don't like it when you refer to what I went through as a phase because it feels like you're not talking it seriously."
Isnt that what this whole show is about? Communication???
It wasn't fun watching him just insulting the others, it was annoying!
Like poor Patton, just trying to help and be encouraging, only for Virgil to keep treating him like dirt.
What did I miss here? Virgil was fine in the last few episodes, so what the heck happened?
Oh and let's not forget the great advice Thomas offers Patton at the end of the episode in regards to handling Virgil: "Don't do anything to get on his bad side or else he'll do bad things to you!"
Okay I'm paraphrasing here but that's basically what he says! And since Virgil is supposed to be a representation of anxiety, this is a horrible message!!!
What happened to finding healthy ways to cope with your anxiety? What happened to keeping it in check so it didn't take over your life?
Yeah I'm definitely gonna make a full post about this one episode later because there's a whole lot more to unpack here. But yeah -10/10
#10 Putting Others First
There is just way too much going on with this episode. They try cramming so much in here that I don't even remember more than half of it.
I remember the opening song, then the Lilypadton fight and everything that happens from there. That's it.
And those are the best parts of this episode, but even that has problems because everything with Janus feels like a completely different episode.
Also the whole way they try to teach about morality is all over the place. How did we go from choosing a wedding over a callback to deciding whether or not you would die for your friends to self care is important?
And while the video game sequences, while utilized well in some places, were way too distracting and it felt like they were just trying to shove as many video game references in as they could.
You could take out just about all of them and the episode wouldn't change. Everything they were used for could have been done just through having the characters talk to each other, and knowing this makes the fact that this video was delayed for so long because of it just makes the whole thing worse.
Like the animations were well done, and I don't want to downplay the hard work the animator did. They were just doing their job after all.
But the trolley scenes (especially the second one) hurt my eyes with all the flashing (would have been nice to have some kind of warning for that) and some of the voice effects (especially on Logan's) were grating and distracting.
I want to rank this episode higher, but it has almost zero rewatch ability and honestly besides the ending, when I first watched this episode I was just kinda let down.
#9 Crofters- The Musical
Okay look, the song is a bop and I adore the fact that Logan and Roman got two episodes in the spotlight, but it's just kinda "meh" to me. Plus I get just a tinge of second hand embarrassment but that's just me.
And I know this is kinda unfair but another reason why this one isn't higher is because of a couple of things. One is that they set up some angst for Roman, he's clearly not doing well and Thomas thinks the best thing to do is tell him that he might get his own jam flavor.
Then he does, and instead of following up on that little plot point from this video, they just rushed out a commercial and completely ignored and potential story telling or character development for Roman.
So yeah "Return of the Jam" is the main reason why I don't like this one as much as I used to. And I actually just got an idea for a new post comparing these two so add that to my to-do list.
#8 Fitting In
I actually skipped this one during my first official watch through for one reason and one reason alone: I wasn't allowed to watch Harry Potter.
But I realized that my parents wouldn't approve of me of watching a gay man's content either so I just said screw it.
And luckily I understood enough Harry Potter references to get what they were talking about and honestly, this episode is a lot of fun.
It's a good follow up to Accepting Anxiety, and a nice way to kick off season two. Virgil is finding his place among the group and everyone is trying their best to make him feel welcome, it's really sweet.
And of course we get the new costumes (which i hadn't even noticed that they were wearing their old costumes at first) and I dunno it just gives off season one vibes and it makes me happy.
#7 Moving On Part One/Moving On Part Two
Yeah honestly my thoughts on both parts of this episode are the same. What can I say? It's really good.
This definitely one of the more emotionally heavy episodes in the series, and we see the characters at their lowest for really, the first time in this series.
I adore Patton's room and how each side gets their own corners. All the little details they add in, including the changing picture in the background, it really gives off that nostalgia feel they were going for.
What I love most about this episode is how (unlike some other episodes) they actually let the emotional moments sink in and don't throw in a joke immediately after. Like the ending is bittersweet, sad almost, and I love that they stuck with the mood up until the episode ended.
Not to say there weren't some jokes here and there (mostly in the first part) but once the mood shifts and things become more serious they let that mood stay. And when there are jokes they all work really well.
This is one episode I've actually watched the least out of season two, so it'll be interesting when I go watch it again to see if any of this holds up.
#6 Why Do We Get Out of Bed in the Morning?
Honestly I only put this one above Moving On because Logan and Roman are my favorites.
This episode is actually one of the weaker ones, which hurts to say because again, favorite characters, but goodness it's all over the place. It feels like a precursor to POF and not in a good way.
Logan and Roman just basically argue back and forth throughout the whole episode, never seeing eye to eye with each other, to the point where I think think the writers realized they couldn't find a way to get these two to agree so they just had Thomas step in and be like, "You guys make a really good team!"
Dude, were you even paying attention? They never even reached a conclusion on their own. And even though they have their little moment at the end, it's all kinda ruined when nothing in their relationship changes.
Yes, in Learning New Things About Ourselves, they acknowledge that there's more work to be done in regards to them, which makes sense. People aren't going to suddenly change overnight.
Yet despite having come to some kind of understanding with each other twice now (both here and LNTAO) in the following episodes they still act like they hate each other! Heck Roman is downright nasty to him for seemingly no reason and I don't really blame him for it.
More like I think the writers just don't know how to develop their relationship and just aren't as interested in them as the others. Logan's been reduced to being Mr. Exposition and apparently Roman's personal issues aren't enough for him to carry a room episode on his own because they felt the need to introduce two new characters before he finally gets it.
Sorry, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the episode.
There's some funny bits here and there and the little animations are cute (even if unnecessary) but really it's only saving grace is being Roman and Logan centered.
Even though they felt the need to include a cameo from literally every other character because apparently no one has any faith that Logan and Roman can carry an episode on their own.
#5 The Sanders Sides 12 Days of Christmas
This episode is just pure fun. Look, I'm not a big fan of Christmas, even less of a fan of Christmas songs, but my gosh this episode almost makes me appreciate the season.
The way they're all just bickering the whole time, being very confused, and how there's just so much personality from each character even when they're not talking/singing and just being in the background is *chef's kiss* perfect.
There's so many fun little details to pick out during the song and it's fun to go back and watch how each side reacts to different things.
#4 Selfishness vs Selflessness
Gonna be real, this used to be my favorite episode. Until my overly critical brain started finding all kinds of problems in the writing department but I think Iâve been negative enough on this post so Iâll save it for another time.Â
Janus steals the show in this one, itâs his first official appearance since his debut and he just soaks up the spotlight. Itâs refreshing to have an antagonist in the show again, and heâs the perfect foil for each of the original Sides.Â
He knows how to play into Romanâs insecurities, know how to feed into his ego and get him on his side. Heâs in direct opposition to Patton, who believes that everything Janus represents is wrong. Heâs able to silence Logan and take him out of the conversation, speaking over him most of the time.Â
And I guess he and Virgil have some beef I dunno.Â
The courtroom scenario is fun, and I love how Janus is the only one who sees how ridiculous it is (even though it was your idea in the first place, Jan) and everyone else seeing it as perfectly normal is hilarious.Â
I do like some of the more dramatic moments in this episode, especially that final bit with Janus questioning Thomas until he finally gets him to admit the truth. It was intense and reminded me of the scene where Janus confronts Roman in a similar manner.Â
While far from perfect this is still a good episode and I can find a lot to love about it, like Janus in a suit.Â
#3 Dealing With Intrusive Thoughts
This episode scared the shit out of me and I loved it.
Okay it didnât actually scare me. But I stayed up to wait for it to be posted, which wasnât until 2 or 3 in the morning. So by the time I finally watched it I was half awake and not expecting anything that I witnessed.Â
The result was me being terrified of Thomas with a mustache and it prevented me from sleeping. I was over it the next day though and had Forbidden Fruit stuck in my head all day. Which isnât good when youâre running the register at work and you canât stop singing it.Â
Thereâs a lot of reason why I love this episode, Remus being the primary thing. His entrance is iconic, the first few notes from his theme play as he creeps up behind the TV, him smiling at Roman all creepily until he whacks him over the head and knocks him out for most of the episode.Â
Then we get the song, Forbidden Fruit, which is just great. Slight secondhand embarrassment but seeing the finished product and all they put into it, I canât help but love it.Â
Still miffed that Janus hasnât gotten a song... specifically a villain song... I wonât ever let that go...
Logan is another highlight in this episode (no surprise) and seeing him go head-to-head against his polar opposite without batting an eye was interesting since I was kinda expecting them to show Logan having trouble dealing with Remus but nope. He handled it like a champ and I love them both.Â
Now I am kinda wary as to how theyâre going to handle Remus in the future, especially with the intrusive thoughts aspect. Itâs a sensitive topic and theyâre already screwing up anxiety. But Remus has only been in one episode so far which means I canât make any solid judgments until heâs appeared in more episodes, so Iâll have to wait and see.Â
All in all, great episode! Definitely deserves to be in my top three.Â
#2 Learning New Things About Ourselves
This episode made me feel so nostalgic. I freaking love puppets and grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppets, so Iâm probably biased towards this episode but to me this is really one of the better written episodes.Â
Perfect? Heck no. But really, really good.Â
I love that we get to explore a bit more with Logan and Romanâs characters, in a lot of ways this is kind of a Logan episode which has him standing against the other Sides, and itâs really interesting to see just how different he is compared to the three of them and it could just be me but it seemed like heâs becoming more of an outsider and isnât as close with the original four as he used to be, and this episode is what really kicks that idea off.Â
I can also relate to the âWell thatâs nice but what do you do for a living?â message, except in my case itâs more like I want to quit my âreal jobâ to pursue what Iâm passionate about while people tell me itâll probably never happen or âYeah thatâs a nice hobby!â So this episode really struck close to home and I just have a lot of sentimental feelings towards this one.Â
I love all of the designs for the puppets, they all just fit perfectly and I wouldnât mind seeing them make a comeback one day. I know thatâd be difficult since theyâd need a professional to puppet them but hey, one can dream right?
And oh my gosh the song, it just gives off the same feel from Sesame Street and Muppet songs with itâs jazzy feel. And I wonât lie I flipped my lid when Logan and Thomas were in the same shot together. We hadnât seen any of the Sides share the screen with Thomas yet and the fact that it was Logan, and he was arguing with Thomas and they were singing over each other? Ah I love it!
Also donât get me started on how Loganâs bit in the song sounds more villainous than the others. Iâm not saying anything just a neat little observation.Â
I have a lot of happy feelings attached to this episode, so despite the few problems I have with it I could never bring myself to hate it. The only one that tops it is...
#1 Can Lying Be Good?
The episode that started it all. The one that caught my attention and sparked my new fixation on this little series that I had just glossed over before.
I really donât know what prompted me to watch this episode, other than I wasnât in the best place and it just happened to pop into my recommendations one day and I figured, âHuh, havenât watched this guy for awhile. Letâs see what heâs been up to.â
Once the episode was finished my first thought was âHoly shit when did this series start having lore?!â
This episode is probably the closest thing to perfect out of all the season two episodes so far. The writing is clever, pretty much all of the jokes land, and oh my gosh the editing in this one is phenomenal.Â
The way they show Roman shifting between himself and Joan throughout the episode is what sticks out the most. Having Romanâs voice coming from Joan, or having them briefly change back to Roman, I love it so much.Â
Not to mention Thomasâs ever changing shirt that reflects what heâs thinking/feeling is a neat little detail.
Did I mention this episode is hilarious? The ridiculousness of each scenario that they act out, with all the little inputs from Logan and Virgil who are both trying their best to do their jobs besides not even wanting to be part of it in the first place is adorable.Â
And of course, the man of the hour, Deceit. Or Janus as we now know him as.Â
Is it weird that I like Deceit more as a name? Probably, but thatâs just because I donât like how early his name was revealed.Â
Okay that was my last negative comment. Promise.
Now since I hadnât watched Sanders Sides in a while I didnât notice anything off about âPattonâ during my first watch. But going back after seeing the rest of the series helped me catch all the little hints they added to clue in the audience that something wasnât right.Â
A lot of it is really subtle, mostly in the acting department, but once youâve caught on to everything it makes you wonder how you didnât notice the first time. You can even see Logan and Virgil throughout the episode, knowing that something is off with âPattonâ but holding back their concerns until Virgil finally calls Deceit out.Â
Iâve rewatched Deceitâs reveal so many times. When he finally drops the act after Thomas makes up his mind not to lie, you can just tell he no longer cares whether Thomas knows or not. Then things get even more tense when Logan is silenced, and everyone knows whatâs going on except Thomas.Â
The music starts to build up, Thomas is flipping out, then after Deceit taunts him again he finally demands to know whatâs going on and BAM there he is!
I love everything about this.Â
Like, what else can I say? This episode is brilliant. It really shows exactly what this team is capable of when theyâre at their best. The pacing, the build up, the writing, all of it combined together to make the perfect episode.
Season Two has been, interesting. The long waits have caused some problems with the pacing and characters, not to mention the departure of Joan from the writing team with new writers entering the room, not to mention the first welcome now unwelcome arrival of Asides, and with only the season finale left before season three, it makes me wonder just where this series is headed.
I know this series is capable of doing incredible things, season one is still solid and it really holds up even after all this time. But season two just feels like a jumbled mess. Sure, itâs easy to enjoy the episodes individually, but once you try to fit them all together itâs like trying to jam a puzzle piece into a place where it doesnât fit.Â
The best way to describe this season is as an experimental season. Each episode has the team trying something new, sometimes it seems these gimmicks take precedence over the story itself. Of course, some of these can work to the episodeâs advantage, while others are just distracting and youâd know you wouldnât miss them if they were gone.Â
Itâs a mixed bag thatâs for sure. One that has me watching in morbid curiosity as I wait to see whether itâll crash in the end or blow my expectations out of the water. It really is fun to analyze these episodes, and yes I know I can be very harsh but believe it or not this is how I engage with media that I love.
My hope is that team will learn from season two and try to take a more simple approach with their production once season three roles around. Because if they continue at the same pace they are now I doubt there will be many people around to see this series through.Â
And on that note, that was my ranking of season two! Iâm actually kinda excited now to go back and rewatch everything, I hope I donât have to wait much longer to do so but that all depends on when the season two finale comes. Whether it ends up exceeding my expectations or just being âmehâ I know itâll be interesting regardless and I canât wait to see just how they plan on wrapping this all up before the final season arrives.Â
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Not Broken (Jaehyun Mafia AU) Part 14
Not Broken Masterlist
Jaehyun X Reader
Y/N is a burlesque dancer living in Seoul. Jaehyun is one of the most powerful mafia men in Seoul. How will Y/N survive when Jaehyun suspects that she is involved with a rival gang?
Reasons to read this story: Tenâs a cross-dressing madam soâŠ.. yeah read it ya freaks.
âWhat are you doing here?â I demanded. Â
His presence sent shivers down my spine. Every fiber of my being urged me to run but I couldnât. A much stronger force locked my body in place. The gym filled with an oppressive energy that immediately became too suffocating to bear. Â
The corners of his lips upturned into a slight smile, a motion that contradicted the mood of the room. Letting out a soft chuckle, he ran his fingers through his faded pink hair, only for it to fall back into place seemingly untouched. Â
âIs that any way to speak to your new trainer, Y/N?â Â
Although he terrified me more than anything I had ever encountered, I refused to let Jaehyun think that he had any more power over me than he already did. Â
âNew trainer? What are you talking about? Whereâs Jeno? Heâs my trainer, not you.â Â
Jaehun slowly shook his head and began to tsk at me. His smug features mocked me as he began to step closer towards me. He knew of the effect he had on me and was surely using his influence to further disrupt any tranquility I had left. There was no way heâd be ignorant enough to think that his existence was anything less than a means for my suffering, right?
âI must say, itâs almost disconcerting to hear my fiancĂ© sound so concerned about another man, especially after I forwent my morning responsibilities just to be with her. You wouldnât be trying to make me jealous would you, kitten?â He taunted, his eyes feigning hurt. Â
His words were coated in an artificial sweetness that could lead someone unbeknownst to his character to believe they were filled with genuine hurt but to me, they left me with a headache and a bad taste in my mouth. Not only that, but the way his eyes traveled their ways over my figure as he spoke was... anxiety inducing.
âWhereâs Jeno?â I repeated, my strong facade beginning to waver.
Jaehyun stared at me in amusement and I wondered how I was going to keep his mood from turning sour without giving in to his games.
âJeno has some duties he needs to take care of, you know with planning our wedding and all. Planning a proper ceremony is such a taxing responsibility and even without the deadline already enclosing on us. Although I trust Jenoâs abilities, I figured that relieving him of his other responsibilities would allow him to have everything ready for the end of the month.â
I couldnât help but gasp.
âThe end of the m-m-month? Thatâs only 3 weeks away!â
âIn our line of business, that isnât particularly out of the ordinary given the nature of most arrangements. A lot can happen in the months leading up to the official ceremony after an engagement is announced. Enemy plans can emerge, alliances could break, not to mention the very real possibility of either partyâs death. Most find it best to officialize marriages as soon as possible, for the safety and benefit of all those involved, which is why weâre only announcing our engagement two weeks prior to the ceremony itself.â
Jaehyunâs words reached my ears but they sounded foreign to me and not because Korean wasnât my first language. Everything he was saying sounded completely and utterly insane. Announcing an engagement two weeks before a wedding, the fact that we were having a wedding? It was straight out of a Kdrama and a cheesy one at that. I didnât know how to respond to it as I had barely been given enough time to process our engagement in the first place. Â
âIf Jeno isnât coming, Iâm leaving,â I declared, turning towards the exit door.
âNot so fast, kitten. Didnât you hear what I said? Iâll be taken over as your trainer.â
I hesitated slightly but began to walk away.
âThen I guess I wonât be training anytime soon,â I announced.
I held my breath, not knowing what to expect. I braced myself for any backlash my blatant disrespect might have earned me when a startling sound entered the room. Â
He was laughing. Â
I had just made it to the door, but I didnât dare reach towards the handle. I thought I had fully prepared myself for any reaction he could have to my words whether they be verbal or even physical in nature, but Jaehyun always found a way to rebel against my expectations. His unnerving laughter incited a fear in me so vast, every hair on my body stood straight as though it would abandon its follicle.
I tried to swallow but my mouth was unbearable dry. Gathering up my courage, I raised my arm from my side and reached towards the door handle.
âDonât you want to hear the other reason for delaying the announcement of our wedding?â Â
I paused but continued to grip the handle with whitening knuckles.
âI donât want to hear anything you have to say to me.â
Jaehyun chuckled at my audaciousness. Â
Itâs cute how she acts fearless despite how she literally trembles whenever I speak. I want to tease her even more. Â
âDonât you know it hurts my feelings when you say things like that? Or are you just trying to get a rise out of me?â He taunted.
I began to turn the knob, disgusted by his playful tone. Â
âAh. Ah Ah. Believe me when I say that this is something you wonât want to miss out on,â He urged.
âAt least... not unless you suddenly want to go through with the wedding.â
I instinctively looked back at Jaehyun, completely taking my hand off of the doorknob. Â
âWhat? What do you mean?â I asked in a tone more sincere than I had intended.
A glimmer of disappointment seemed to wash over his features before he spoke.
âNow donât look too excited,â He frowned. Â
Ah, heâs mocking me again, isnât he?
âI have a proposition for you. A deal of sorts.â
I stared at him.
âWhat kind of proposition?â
Jaehyun smiled a devilish smile before walking away.
I stood there confused as to whether he was intending for me to follow or stay put. After a momentâs hesitation, I resolved that it was the former. Â
I trailed behind him as we wandered through the myriad of rooms that made up the massive home gym until Jaehyun settled upon one with a considerable about of floor mats. The room was far from new to me, seeing as it was the room Jeno most commonly used during combat training. Â
âIâve been watching you and Jeno train for some time now,â He began, taking notice of my shock.
âYouâve gotten quite good considering youâve only been working together for a week. Iâd like to assess your progress and continue your training.â
âWhy would you want to train me?â I asked. Glancing around the room in search of any cameras he might have used to monitor Jeno and my gym sessions. Â
âBecause you are to be my bride,â He answered, catching me off guard. Â
Jaehyunâs eyes lingered on mine. They were softer than I had ever seen them before, but matching his gaze still proved to be too much to do comfortable. I shifted my stare to a nearby stack of floormats. Â
âAlthough that status will grant you protection in of itself, there are certain dangers that come with taking the Jung family name. I must prepare you for that.â
âOh...â I responded.
I hadnât expected his answer to be so impassioned and sensible. I didnât know what I was thinking, but I was sure his reasoning would have had more extemporaneous origins.
âI would be lying if I said I didnât have any alternative motives to this decision,â He confessed prompting, me to match his gaze once more. Â
âYou and I havenât met under the most favorable of circumstances, which is admittedly my fault. I donât expect you to forgive me anytime soon and I am prepared for much of the harshness I delivered onto you to be returned onto me possibly for the next several years succeeding our wedding day.â
This time he was the one to break our stare though his eyes only seemed to lower innocently.
âBut I want for our marriage to be a mutually beneficial one. I hope that over this next week, you and I will have the chance to get to know each other. I think that that is what would be best.â
âYouâre damn right this is your fault,â I said. âWhy on earth would you think Iâd ever agree to working with you on anything?âÂ
Jaehyunâs expression hardened, but it didnât show any signs of anger.
âBecause if you think thereâs any chance of you getting out of this wedding without my explicit consent, then our little kitten is dumber than I thought. Now do you want to hear my proposition or what?â
I kept my mouth shut.
âGood, now, where was I? Oh yeah. You and Jeno use this room for combat training, right? So, youâve already experienced several scenarios simulating fights with an opponent whoâs much stronger than you.â
Jaehyun stared at me searching for any sign that I was following before going on.
âYouâre going to continue hands on training, but with me as your opponent instead. The only rules are that you have to stay within the perimeters of the room and that you cannot use a weapon to attack your opponent. Whoever pins the other on their back for three seconds will win.â
âOh yeah? And what happens if I somehow win?â I scoffed.
The devilish grin returned to Jaehyunâs face, prompting my confident façade to teeter. Â
âIf you manage to pin me down for the full 3 seconds within the next 7 days before our engagement is announced to the world, Iâll call off the wedding.â
âWhat?â
âI said, if you beat me, Iâll call off the wedding.â
âBut what about Wayv?â
âThat wonât be an issue, I could make the president of Korea disappear without a trace if I wanted. I should have no problem finding a way to keep you safe from Wayv.â
âThatâs not what you said before.â
âWell, thatâs what Iâm saying now!â He boomed.
I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from arguing any further. I had more important things to ask.
âWhat happens if I canât beat you before the seven days are up?â
âI was wandering if youâd ask that. Itâs only fair that after offering you the chance to call our or marriage off entirely, that I should get something of equal value if you were to lose.â
That wasnât what I had wanted to hear. Of course, he wanted something from me. Why else would he give me the opportunity to dip out on our marriage? There was no chance that heâd do this out of the goodness of his heart, and the idea that he was only doing this to see the hope drain from my being wasnât too unbelievable. That couldnât have been the case though. As much of a conniving bastard I knew Jaehyun to be, he was still a man of business. Iâd be a sucker to think heâd do anything without it serving to further his agenda. Now the only question was, what was it he wanted and was it something I was willing to risk?
He brought his hand to his face in an exaggerated gesture as he vocally pondered to himself. Â
âWhat is it that you could offer me that I couldnât just take from you?â
My body tensed upon hearing those last few words. Â
Fuck.
He began walking towards me as he spoke. Â
âAs you can probably tell, there isnât much in this world that I canât buy. Diamonds, cars, mansions. I can have it all. I just have to say the word. So, Iâm sure you can understand my frustration when that doesnât turn out to be the case. You, for example. Although I canât simply buy your obedience, youâve come to realize how far my power extends such as with the case of your friend, Wendy. If I can ensure your compliance with our wedding with something as simple as that, then imagine what else I can do,â He voiced as he reached a hand towards my face. Â
I turned my face to avoid his advances, but his fingers brushed against my cheek as he pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Â
He leaned in close until his lips hovered mere inches away from my ear. Â
âBut that isnât very fun now, is it?â Â
I took a step back from him and stared into his eyes practically begging him to stop. Â
âW-what are you saying?â I demanded.
Jaehyun responded with a sly smirk which only drew more attention to my now flustered state. Â
âWhat Iâm saying, is that I donât want to have to keep forcing you to behave.â
âSo, you just want me to go along with whatever you tell me to? And what, act like your perfect little puppet?â
âSomething along those lines,â He chimed, leaning in again. Â
The heat in my face was unbearable. I wanted to stand tall, but with how close his face was to mine, I could only retreat into myself further. He laughed before turning away from me to stand in front of the roomâs mirror wall. Â
He spent several seconds looking at himself before continuing. Â
âYou will be rewarded, of course. Whether it be material items or vacations, ask for it and it will likely become yours assuming you act in accordance with my standards.â
âWhat type of things does âmeeting your standardsâ entail?â I asked afraid of what the answer might be.
Jaehyun glanced back at me from the mirror. Â The fear on my face must have been apparent as he quickly motioned to ease my mind. Â
âI will never demand that you do anything of that nature if thatâs what youâre afraid of. Although it will be expected of you to give me a male heir, that wonât be for some time and I already have plans to send you away for nine months as the adoption process is completed to give the illusion that you bore said child yourself.â
I relaxed slightly at the confirmation that his requests wouldnât be sexual in nature, but I tensed back up when I realized he wasnât done with his explanation.
âMy mother is returning to the estate today.â
âYour mother?â I echoed.
âAfter my father died, she went to live with her sister. She comes to visit the estate when she can and Jisung and Chenle often go to stay with her for long periods at a time, but upon hearing of our engagement she has decided to return indefinitely. She has yet to learn of the specifics regarding our relationship and I would prefer to keep it that way. Sheâs somehow diluted herself into thinking that our marriage is based on love despite having never heard of you until yesterday. Sheâs not opposed to arranged marriages, but Iâd like for her to think that Chenle and Jisung will have another mother figure in their lives. She will be assisting in the preparation of our wedding as is her duty. Things like going through dresses and basic preparations will make up most of your time together. I would like for you to get to know her as your future mother-in-law given you are unable to win our little bet. Some details would best be hidden from her such as your career path and how we met but itâll be easier if you arenât pretending to be someone youâre not. Iâve already had Haechan prepare a back story for you and how we met. Iâve insisted that he tag along on all your endeavors so that he may assist you in... keeping to the script, shall we say?â
He continued to look himself in the mirror as he spoke. He seemed deep in thought, as though he were still confirming the plan with himself instead of explaining the details to me. Â
âI know that the bet wonât end for seven days, but if you agree to the bet, know that youâll need to agree to this as well. That way Iâll have an idea of whether youâll stay true to your word or not. Once you agree to the terms of the bet, then you cannot change your mind. You canât suddenly give up your last three tries because you donât think youâll win. If you donât agree to the bet, then I guess Iâll just have to find other ways of making you obey my orders such as through your friend Jungwoo.â
I flinched at hearing Jungwooâs name. It seemed as though Jaehyun did more than just find out if Wendy was okay when he researched the Heartbreakers. Â
âI strongly suggest that you agree to my terms as I believe that even if you lose, you will still benefit from this agreement. Otherwise, the next several years will likely be filled with many hardships should you continue to challenge me.â
His words, which were provocative in nature, had a slight hiss to them. I was reminded of Lucifer who took the form of a snake before he seduced Eve into eating the forbidden fruit and thus bringing about the fall of man. Yet, instead of trying to corrupt me with sin, my Lucifer was giving me a chance to return to Eden. The cost of losing meant my soul. If I agreed, that meant that I was promising to live out my life, pretending to be what Jaehyun wanted me to be. If I didnât, then I was sure heâd do everything in his power to make my life as miserable as I wanted to make his. Even if it meant my pride remained intact, I wasnât sure if such a fight was worth sacrificing my happiness for.
But that wasnât what I needed to focus on.
Jaehyun posed our bet as though it were a guarantee that I would lose, but that wasnât the case. Jeno had spent hours upon hours teaching me moves with the specific intention that they would help me out if I were to ever find myself in danger of fighting someone much stronger than me. Â
Was there any chance that I could actually beat Jaehyun? Maybe not but thinking like that wasnât an option. If this was the only chance Iâd have to get Jaehyun out of my life once and for all, then I was going to take it. Â
âDeal,â I said.
The surprised look on Jaehyunâs face disappeared as soon as it came, soon morphing into one of satisfaction. Â
âThen shall we begin?â
<><><><>
âConsider today a break from training. Once weâre done with the match you can return to your room and prepare for my motherâs arrival. Starting tomorrow, weâll only have matches after we finish our training sessions. That way youâll actually be motivated to come to our training sessions,â Jaehyun told me.
âBut thatâll be after Iâm already worn out from training! Thatâs not fair!â
Jaehyun paused for a moment as if he were debating my words. Â
âAs your trainer, it will be in my best interest to help you improve and that includes showing you where you went wrong and how to counter my moves. I canât do that unless we fight first. This way, Iâll be able to see your fighting style and have time to plan a lesson teaching you how to counter my moves.â
âHow can I trust that youâll actually teach me the most effective way to counter?â I challenged.
âI understand why youâd doubt me but believe me when I say that I know more than just one trick. Teaching you how to counterattacks to one move doesnât guarantee that Iâll use it again or that youâll be a good enough student to actually execute them.â Â
Jaehyun ignored the dirty look I gave him. Â
A knock came from the doorway. I turned to see Taeyong holding a stopwatch. Â
âAh. Now that our ref is here, Are you ready to begin?â Jaehyun asked. Â
I stared him up and down, aware that there was no way Iâd be able to take a man of his stature down, at least not today. I had to come up with a strategy.
During one of our first matches, Jeno taught me that the best thing to do when fighting a new opponent is to let them attack first. That way, you can analyze their fighting style and act accordingly. Â
âYou can tell a lot about a man from their first move. Not just whether theyâre fighting style is more defensive or offensive, but about their inner workings as well. A man who attacks without hesitance is rash and likely uses their appearance of strength as a coverup for their faults. A man who hesitates and overanalyzes his opponent is filled with doubt and anxieties. A man who employs weapons to distance himself from his opponent is the same man who would order his underlings to do his dirty work for him. A man who is able to use his opponent's strength against them is disciplined and goal oriented. This kind of fighter knows how to save his strength for more pressing matters. Attacking first will only inform your opponent of your weaknesses so it is best to let them reveal themselves to you first. This will benefit you as youâll learn to gauge your opponentâs abilities. Never jump headfirst into a pool you canât see the bottom of. You never know what dangers lurch underneath the surface.â
Jenoâs words eclipsed my thoughts. Â
What type of fighter would Jaehyun prove to be? You can learn a lot about a man from his first move, so what if the reverse was true? Would it possible to predict Jaehyunâs moves based on what I already knew about him? With what little information I had, Jaehyun didnât seem like the type to act without a plan, but given that he was fighting against someone much less inexperienced, maybe that wouldnât be the case with me. Â
I looked at Jaehyun. I took notice of his smug features.
I was right. He expects to win quickly and easily and itâs likely that will be the case. Â
This might be our first fight, but it would be stupid of me to take it any less seriously, but what if I could use that to my advantage.
Itâs our first fight so probably already anticipating what my first action will be. Perhaps he expects me to act rashly. No, that couldnât be the case. Jaehyun knows that Jeno and I have been working together and I know that heâs already seen glimpses of my fighting style. He probably knows that I plan to let him strike first. Â
I continued to stare back at Jaehyun as I went back and forth with myself. He let out a small chuckle that further revealed his confidence in himself. Â
Go ahead and smile, Jaehyun. That confidence of yours is going to serve as a tool for my victory. Â
âYes, Iâm ready.â
âGood.â
Jaehyun shot a glance towards Taeyong who nodded in response. Â
âTo reiterate the rules. Whoever manages to pin the other down for three seconds wins. The pinned person must be laying on their back and both of their shoulders must be touching the mat for the full three seconds. No weapons may be used to attack your opponent and both parties must stay within the confines of the room. There is no time limit. The match ends either with one party successfully pinning the other or with one party tapping out which will result in their opponentâs victory. Is everyone aware of what tapping out means?â Taeyong asked.
Both Jaehyun and I nodded. Â
âGreat, now get into position,â Taeyong instructed.
I watched Jaehyun as he walked up to a mark that was engraved into the mat with tape. I quickly located a similar mark and approached it. Â
âYou may start when I blow the whistle. Ready? Whistle!â
Taeyong quickly blew the whistle catching me off guard as I thought there would be more warning beforehand. I launched myself at Jaehyun. A spark of surprise crossed his expression as I quickly advanced towards him.
That was my plan, to catch him off guard by acting in juxtaposition with what he expected of me. Â
Slam!
The air that peacefully occupied my lungs was violently expunged as my back made harsh contact with the floor. The pure shock of the moment was enough to have me fixed to the floor. There was no need for the hands that held me in place except to mock me for my misguided attempts against the man they belonged to. Â
Whistle!
âJaehyun is the winner,â Taeyong announced, his voice clear and void of any noticeable disappointment or excitement. Â
The match was over, and I was right where I had started. Actually, I was lower than where I had started, both figuratively and literally. Having no recollection of what had happened, I was still hopelessly ignorant as to the kind of fighter Jaehyun was, now with only had six attempts remaining instead of seven. Â
As I struggled to regain any pattern of breathing even remotely similar to my normal, Jaehyun simply stared down at me. His body, which showed no intention of withdrawing from mine, began to move closer to my stunned physique. His face hovering only inches away from mine. Â
I kept my eyes closed as tightly as I could to find some sort of grounding as I recovered from the impact. I only opened my eyes after hearing a soft chuckle. Â
âCute,â Jaehyun thought to himself. Â
I stared back at him shocked by how close he was. I instinctively tried to pull away from him but there was nowhere to go. I was already pressed against the mat. With nowhere to go and nowhere else to look, my eyes met his. Â
I prepared myself for the humiliation that would come with looking at whatever amused look might be staring back. After hearing his laughter, I was sure that he was going to tease me, and I was going to chew him out for it. Yet when my eyes met his, the expression that stared back at me wasnât the self-satisfied grin I had become so familiar with. Â
This look was one I hadnât seen before, at least not from Jaehyun. It wasnât the cocky look he often adorned while teasing me nor was it the coldhearted disposition I had been intimidated by time and time again. His rose gold bangs fell past his eyes in a vain attempt to hide them, but the intensity they held was desperate to be noticed. That intensity seemed to be the only thing desperate about them. Despite having just finished a fight, as brief as it might have been, Jaehyun looked more sedate than one would expect. His calm and collected state did little to ease my quickening heart as a glimmer of playfulness seemed to linger across his features. This mischievousness garnered especially in his upturned lips which I momentarily glimpsed at in a foolish attempt to alleviate the frenzy of nervousness I felt from holding his gaze. Â
Jaehyun noticed my wandering eyes, completely aware of where they had drifted off to. Â
My eyes returned to his only to see that they were looking lower than they had before. Â
I didnât have time to question where he was looking before he began to lessen the space between us, his lips slowly enclosing on mine. Unable to do much else, I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side frantically trying to escape his advances which only drew closer and closer until...
âIf thatâs all you needed me for, then Iâll be off.â
My already tense body jolted slightly at the unexpected voice and my eyes opened just enough to see that Jaehyunâs face had retreated from mine. Â
âAh. Yes. Very well.â Jaehyun coughed, making sure not to stutter as he dismissed his second in command. Â
As soon as Taeyong left the room, Jaehyun rolled off of me and stood up. Â
I quickly followed, but not before mouthing a silent thank you to Taeyong. Despite him having already left, I felt the need to express my gratitude, even if my thanks only fell upon deaf ears. Â
âWell, we both should be heading back. My mother will arrive soon, and you need to be ready to greet her. Iâll send Haechan over to fill you in on your backstory,â Jaehyun advised as his eyes hovered on everything in the room except me. Â
âIâm confident that you wonât purposely cause any trouble, that is if you donât want to forfeit any of your six remaining chances.â
âI wonât.â
Jaehyun finally turned towards me surprised by my sudden willingness to obey.
âIâll stay true to my end of the deal as long as you stay true to yours, including what you said about teaching me how to counter your attacks,â I promised.
Jaehyun nodded before making his exit from the training room. Â
<><><><><>
âThank God he didnât leave me with anymore bruises. Imagine having to explain that to his mother,â I sighed.
âDamn. Thatâs crazy.â
âIâm amazed he didnât tell any of you about the deal he offered me.â
âHe wouldnât bother telling us about a bet he had no chance of losing, even if the stakes were this high.â
âWow, thanks, Donghy- fuck, Haechan.â
âDonât worry about it. Itâll take some time to get used to. I keep forgetting that I donât have to censor myself around you anymore.â
âYeah right, like you ever censored yourself around me.â
âI meant with hiding the fact that Iâm a gangster, you idiot,â Haechan scolded, hitting me on the side of the arm.
âOuch!â I howled exaggerating the pain before Haechan playfully tackled me, the both of us erupted in a fit of giggles as we fell on the bed.
âCome on, you need to get ready and I need to catch you up on your cover story. Mrs. Lee isnât the type to be easily fooled,â Haechan explained.
Before I had returned, Haechan had already laid out a set of clothes for me to wear. I had just gotten out of the shower and put on a towel before deciding to catch my old friend up on what had occurred at my latest training session. I had wanted to catch him up on everything that had occurred since he and I talked that fateful night, but there never seemed to be enough time and I was sure that he already knew the basics. Â
âI know this isnât your usual style, but youâll like it I promise.â
âHaechan... Itâs frilly.â
âNo, itâs not, itâs... okay yeah itâs frilly, but this will leave a good impression on Mrs. Lee so just think of it as one of your burlesque costumes or somethings. Â
âYou want me to pretend that wearing this dress to impress a woman whose son Iâm being forced to marry is anything like wearing a costume for burlesque?â
âYes... and sure it is. Think of it like this. You wear burlesque costumes to seduce your audience. Well, isnât making a good impression on someone a bit like seducing them?â
I paused weighing his words. Â
âI hate how much sense that makes in a twisted way.â
An accomplished smile took over Haechanâs face.
âNow, hurry up and put it on.â
Over the past years of Haechan and my friendship, we had become thicker than thieves. We both felt comfortable changing in front of each other, especially since Haechan had as much interest in women as I had in gauging my eyes out with a rusty spoon. Â
âHow do I look?â I asked.
It was a simple baby blue dress with a conservative cut to it. The neck allowed for only my clavicle to be exposed. The puffy tulle sleeves extended over the entirety of my arms, yet the see-through material didnât leave anything from the eye. The bottom of the dress resembled an a-line skirt stopping right above my knees. The shoes Haechan picked out were simple white strappy sandals with subtle daisy decals where the buckles were. Although it wasnât exactly an outfit, Iâd never choose for myself, even I had to admit that I looked like the perfect daughter-in-law. Â
Haechan gave the outfit a once over before speaking. Â
âLike youâre in desperate need of a hairbrush.â
âI know I donât say this often, but I love how hesitant you are to say anything that might be considered unkind,â I joked sarcastically.
Haechan rolled his eyes before motioning for me to sit in vanity chair.
Once I was settled, Haechan began to brush my hair.
âItâll be better if we keep as close to the truth as possible. If Iâm being honest, I think that you and Mrs. Lee will get along almost perfectly something I donât necessarily think is a good thing.â
âWhat do you mean?â I asked.
âWell, when I think about it, you and Mrs. Lee have a lot of similarities, which is a good thing because that means that sheâll like you, but on the other hand, if she likes you too much, itâll be harder for you to hide things from her.â
âAh,â I responded. Â
I wanted to asked what similarities I could possibly have with a former mob wife but couldnât as Haechan quickly began discussing the details of my backstory. Â
âSo, you have two stories you have to commit to memory. The first one being the story we present to the public, aka the story that claims that you were working with NCT to take down Lucas. We havenât worked out all the details yet as we need to come up with a reason for keeping Lucasâ death a secret, so you wonât have to worry about that for a while. Since Mrs. Lee is still a prominent figure with close ties to NCT and its leader, she knows that Lucasâ death was not NCTâs doing. Basically, the only thing that we are going to keep from her is how you and Jaehyun met along with your career as a dancer. Mothers arenât exactly the types to squeal with joy at the thought of their sons marrying strippers,â he teased, causing me to roll my eyes. Â
Haechan pulled the hair out of my face and began braiding it.
âYouâre a barista at John and Jâs, a small shop in Itaewon. Jaehyun happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to try the place out. He noticed a man at the counter was blatantly harassing you, so he decided to step in. After the man finally left, you thanked Jaehyun and thatâs when he noticed your necklace. He asked where you got it and you told him it was a family heirloom. Aware that this was not the case, Jaehyun started going to the coffee shop every day, making pleasant conversation in order to earn your trust. One day as you were closing, that man from before showed up and made another scene. Seeing that you were visibly spooked from the encounter, Jaehyun offered to walk you home. You accepted. Once you were at the door to your building, Jaehyun brought up Lucas. At first you were terrified that he was a member of Wayv, but he quickly eased your worries and told him about that night. After hearing your story, Jaehyun offered you protection from Wayv along with financial rewards in exchange for your cooperation. You two began dating shortly after and when Jaehyun suggested that you two get married for the sake of NCTâs image, you were extremely hesitant. Once it became clear to you that the council wanted to force Jaehyun into an arranged marriage, you agreed out of fear of losing him to someone else.â
I stared at Haechanâs reflection, mouth agape. Â
âWhat?â Haechan sighed, already aware of how ridiculous it all was.
âReally? I thought you said the closer we stuck to the truth, the better, not that we were gonna write a cheesy romance novel. I mean, seriously! What was that? After freaking out and locking me up, you want me to tell Momma-Mob-Boss that not only did her son reacted calmly to seeing the necklace, but that he fucking came to my rescue? Who wrote this? Dong- ah, Haechan, please tell me you werenât the one who came up with this BS,â I scoffed.
Haechan let out a sigh. Â
âIt doesnât matter who wrote it, itâs the most believable story we have that presents this marriage as something you would willingly agree to. We even had to fudge the timeline a bit, making it so that you and he met at the coffee shop a month ago instead of just a few days ago.â
âYeah like a month would really make much of a difference. Sure, this man almost beat me to death, but thatâs not the reason Iâm so hesitant to marry him. Iâm only concerned with us having only met a few days ago. Oh wait,â I spat.
âWell then, what are you gonna do?â
I huffed before turning in my chair to face him. Â
âWhat do you mean?â I demanded.
âWhat are you gonna do? Are you gonna tell her the truth and lose your opportunity to get out of here? And after that, what then? Are you gonna keep rebelling and pushing back against Jaehyun until he has to chain you up? Are you going to make your life a living hell all for the sake of your pride? Youâre right. This is bullshit, but itâs the bullshit thatâs gonna get you through the next week. And if you donât win against Jaehyun, then get ready for even more bullshit, because thatâs what you can expect to deal with if you want things to get better. Stop mourning your old life! Just accept that your problems arenât gonna go away just because you fight against them!â Â
My body had tensed up as Haechan seemed to lose his cool for a second. I didnât know what to say but I felt like I had to say something. As soon as I opened my mouth to respond, a knock fell on the door.
âGuys, Mrs. Leeâs car just arrived at the gates. We have around 5 minutes before sheâll arrive at the door,â The voice called out. Â
It was Taeyong.
âShit,â Haechan cussed as he looked at me in the mirror. He quickly tucked a few loose strands behind my ears before motioning for me to get up.
âWe didnât have much time to prepare. Are you confident that you can remember everything? Actually, it doesnât matter. Just try not to say anything stupid.â
#Jaehyun smut#jaehyun mafia#jaehyun au#jaehyun mafia au#jaehyun mafia smut#nct jaehyun mafia#nct jaehyun mafia au#nct jaehyun#nct 127 jaehyun#nct mafia#nct smut#nct mafia smut#nct yandere#nct 127#nct#nct 127 mafia smut#nct 127 mafia#nct dream#nct dream smut#nct dream mafia#nct 127 mafia au#nct mafia au#wayv#wayv smut#wayv mafia#wayv mafia au#nct au#nct 127 au#wayv au#nct dream au
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⟠Ëâč  ââ GENERAL QUICK CROSSOVER GUIDE
So crossovers are usually difficult for a lot of people. So, because I tend to think about these things, I thought I would make this comprehensive list/guide to writing crossovers with me. This isnât anything in concrete, but to get the ball rolling or to help make it easier for both sides to contribute to plotting. It can be hard when you donât know the fandom.
FNF, or Friday Night Funkinâ is a rhythm based game around rap battles. The Protagonist (known as BF) is trying to prove himself and win over his Girlfriendâs (GF) Dad, and it spirals from there. Gameplay style, it is very similar to Dance Dance Revolution, and the music is a fast pasted dubstyle/chiptune soundtrack.
What a lot of people know FNF for, however is the Mods. Due to it being on Newgrounds, and the creators having it be open asset, many creators are able to make their own âweeksâ for players to challenge their skills in. Ruv, and those within Mid Fight Masses, are one of those mods. You can find most of their lore scattered in the scenes of their week, or by going on their official FNF Wiki.
Now, what does this mean for crossovers? I put it under a read more, simply because this is going to be a lot. Iâm going to explain crossover verses I have. How I make them, and how YOU could have your character be in the FNF verse quite easily. So go under the read more to continue reading.
⟠Ëâč  ââ RUV IN OTHER UNIVERSES
Here are some just ideas that I came up with. While not EVERY interaction will work with these, they are ideas. Theyâre meant to kick start ideas and inspirations. I do not consider these full verses until Iâve talked with the other mun to make sure that they are okay with it. These can easily be changed, and swapped out for different things. My main goal here is to try and keep Ruv down to his core elements while fitting into a new setting.
POKEMON- Ruv, along with Sarv run the church- which she has turned into a sanctuary and a Nursery. Much like in Canon, Sarv is supernatural, and Ruv as a run away criminal vowed his life for all eternity to protect her. With churchâs going out however, the next next step would be a PokeNursery.      Ruv acts as protector of the Nursery from trainers and groups alike. He usually is seen sitting on the roof, throwing pebbles at kids or passerbyâs who irk him in some way. You can always find his Onix, his Low-Key Toxtricity, and his Absol around him or the nursery at all times. He does still have his strength, speed, and other abilities. The âfaceâ he has is also a mask- an attempt to hide his identity as the wanted criminal.
OWL HOUSE- Ruv was a wanted criminal for the longest time. His magic, due to where he was born was a lot less like those around him. He could fit into the covens, but anything he did reflected back on him. Living alone, and learning to just modify himself he became a wanted criminal with a bone breaking shout. Â Â Â Â Â Â However all of those times soon came to a stop as he met the winged mistress he stays with now. Protecting her (though she is much more than capable of protecting himself) she runs one of the many sects in the area. It isnât the best building, but itâs out of the way and he usually isnât spotted. However, unfortunately his past comes back to haunt him. He has no choice, and begrudgingly assists the Guards to repay for his crimes. Â Â Â Â Â Tied to Sarv through magical bonds, he has made it clear to those in charge and to her- should something come between his duty as a guard or her, he would chose her a million times over.
DUCKTALES- Ruv is the petrified remains of the guardian of St. Sarvente. Awoken as the earth was shifted off of itâs orbit and forced into something itâs not, the callous guard is in search of the one he calls Sarvente, whom he claims is the Ruler of Souls and the one he Vowed to Protect. He is, 100% made of stone.
TOONTOWN- Stickfigures arenât uncommon drawings. Oneâs as complicated as he and Sarv though usually get a few eyes. Not only that, but video game characters are always treated differently in Toontown. Maybe itâs because of a developers history, or lack there of. The story of Ruvyzvat being a heartless killer however spreads like wild flower, and while he and Sarv will primarily stay at the church... sometimes curiosity becomes too much.
KINGDOM HEARTS- FNF is itâs own world. Keyblade turned into a microphone, Ruv & Sarv are some of the first that would be met. Despite their challenge, they are rather distanced from the troubles of the Darkness and Light and would be semi-good companions.Â
THE BLACKOUT CLUB- Ruv is a 16. Any day will be the day that a voice will end up taking over, merging with his mind. Thatâs fine. Much like how Seed-The-Grudge would want, heâll just get revenge.
HAZBIN HOTEL / HELLUVA BOSS- Ruv ironically enough is one of the few in Hell who does not make him dead. In fact, in some cases that can make him extremely rare. This crossover he IS able to accompany Sarvente into the Underworld, and follow her on her treks through it. While most assume he is a dead sinner, he usually just doesnât answer. However something about being here and meeting those who reside within the land sets him off. Heâs a tad more feral, and a tad more willing to go to the violent answer.
PORTAL- Violence core. What else is there to say? Alternatively, him being a test subject would be fascinating, especially if he was grabbed post-vow. The man is immortal, and therefore would have messed with the tests just by the fact that there is only way for him to die. Death isnât the worst thing to happen to a man however, and he does still feel pain.
RWBY- Ruv has the ability to manipulate sound waves, specifically his own). Trained with great strength and and even greater speed, his form of combat is continuously dodging as he looks for a weak spot. Weapons of choice are shot gun snow boots, and his sickle that doubles as a short sword.
DOCTOR WHO- Sarv has the ability to create portals. While they are MEANT to be used to intergalactive travel, but instead parallel world travel that in of itself is monumental for a lot of DW plots. Ruv and Sarv can easily go from one universe to the next, however chose to stay in the church. Not to mention Ruvâs skills in target elimination and his abilities would make for some individuals to repurpose him into a weapon. While they have been approached by UNIT on several occasions, they always refuse. However, enough time has passed that theyâre starting to notice that the couple in the church arenât aging...
FNAF- RUVYZVAT and SARVENTE were creations of Fazbear Entertainments as karaoke machines... if we want to go the robot route. If we want to go the normal person route, Ruv was hired by Fazbearâs because itâs one of the few places that doesnât do a background check, and when he said he wanted to wear a mask as part of the work outfit they were all for it. He runs the karaoke machine though. Stays away from quite literally everyone. While he isnât the infamous killer of children here, he does have a reputation of his own that he is running from, and that does tend to make him silent.
BATIM- Criminal on the run stumbles into the wastelands formerly known as Bendyâs. Actually enjoys it at first because the cartoon was popular when he was a child. ALT. Stickman drawing of one of the artists come to life. Usually pretends to be Lost One, but when heâs alone with another (Sarvente) they turn into their stickman version selves. Has the ability to jump between 2 and 3 dimensions, but none of the strength or voice.
PSYCHONAUTS- Agent Ruvyzvat, Russian sector. Ruv is working for the Psychonauts in some weird, turning event. Mainly because the sole woman that he trusts and saved his life, Agent Sarvente brought him in. The two are inseparable, and despite Sasha and Nein being infamous for their clinginess, these two take it to a whole knew level. Ruveâs âloud voiceâ is actually a psychic ability he can use outside of the mind to jumble and confuse thoughts and has no damage on anything physically in the present.
GRAVITY FALLS- Sarvente is a Demon, much like Bill. Where sa Bill desires nothing but chaos and madness, Sarvente is trying her best to keep the world like it is and preserve itâs beauty. Seeing such beauty in a runaway criminal, she and he run to the forests of Oregon. Throughout Weirdmageddon, neither managed to be captured or turned to stone, however Ruv seemingly gained his incredible voice abilities. Now, they live in a semi-collapsed church out in the forest. Sarvente always asking those who come her way to join their church, Ruv is suspicious why such events would happen in such a small town, and is distrusting of most everyone he sees.
DETECTIVE CONAN / KAITOU KID / ANY ANIME OR SERIES LIKE THAT- VERY infamous criminal. Take his âWanted Dead or Aliveâ that exists in all other verses, and ramp that up quite a bit. Usually wears a mask whenever he is committing a crime. He does seem to be in it for the fun, though itâs hard to tell with the stoic and expressionless looks. That being said, he does seem to have a very clear goal of what he wants. There are no patterns to where he hits, or what he takes. From wallets of people off the streets, to priceless artifacts. Heâll find where Sarvente went, and how they were able to change her mind in such a way.... how they could corrupt her.
MODERN / NON-EXTREMELY FANTASTICAL- Ruv is honestly a rather down to Earth individual, in some terms. He is untrusting of EVERYTHING, but also due to his own strengths finds little that fear or challenges him. Keep him mind he did make a deal with Lucifer (or his Lucifer) for Immortality for protecting her. While he will always be doing things on his own, a lot of his end goals and motives will come back to her. Without her involvement, he is a walking, talking, machine of destruction with no sway on which side he decides to tear apart.
⟠Ëâč  ââ GENERAL STOPPING POINTS FOR WANTING TO PLOT
DONâT KNOW THE WORLD YOUâRE FROM / YOU DONâT KNOW MY LORE. - Thatâs fine. I can get my hands dirty. I can research. In fact I usually would love nothing more to. I love learning about new fandoms, or new media to get into. You shouldnât be afraid of that. As for mine- It should take someone less than an hour to get through all of the links I have posted in the RESOURCES tab in my bio. Iâve timed it. So if you have an hour to spare, or 15, or just enough time to read his wiki thatâs fine. Heâs not from a long running show, or anything like that. You can catch up extremely quick.
WELL WHAT ABOUT A BOOK/COMIC? HOW WOULD HE FIT IN?- If we are talking about Super Hero comics, then it depends. 90% of the time I will just play up his wanted status a lot more, and make it more of a reason for an interaction. You just ran into a man who has killed hundreds. If your muse is a super hero, or a vigilante? Would you let him go? What a villain? That might make a good partner.
TV SHOW? LIVE ACTION?- Again, it depends on the type of show. Superhero follows the same above. If itâs investigative, have him be a witness. Or a falsely accused man who can prove he isnât the guilty party. Is it more supernatural- well he did make a deal with Lucifer and is an immortal now from it. There are a million ways to spin it. Donât look at making him a big character. Quite honestly, side characters that you pass in the street have just as much backstory, and as long as there is a plausible chance of interactions then we can work it out from there.
⟠Ëâč  ââ  GENERAL IDEAS TO BE AWARE OF THAT MIGHT HELP
HE IS A WANTED CRIMINAL.- Meaning his name Ruvyzvat is known. Despite his crimes going on for decades, he is on the run and never stopped. Several city, state, countries, and possibly nations are looking for him, and looking to take him in.
HE IS ALSO AN IMMORTAL.- While he hasnât been around forever, and nearly not as long as Sarvente has been, he HAS been around for at least 100 years, give or take some. He can be injured, but even fatal injuries heal in an almost Deadpool like way.
HE ALSOÂ HAS SUPERNATURAL POWERS.- His speed and reflexes alone is not something to be taken lightly. He does train and fight with Lucifer on what used to be a semi-regular basis. He has moved and adapted to be able to make sure no one but the singular person he trusts is able to lay a hand on him. That isnât to say you canât catch him off guard. You also have his inhuman strength to worry about, but most of all his voice. His voice which could completely demolish a building, and that isnât the full strength. He has an amazing control over it, but that certainly isnât a trait of his to ignore.
HE IS NOT ALWAYS IN THE CHURCH. I MADE SURE OF THAT WHEN I MADE MY BLOG.- He goes on walks, and he goes on errands. He also goes to the Gym on occasion, though not as often. He enjoys walks on the beach far earlier than anyone should be awake at. What Iâm saying is running into him OUTSIDE of the church is possible. That being said, meeting him IN the church is your best bet for him warming up quicker. He feels safer in the church, and therefore usually wishes to stay there.
DOESNâT FIT THE STYLE OF CHARACTERS/WORLD? - If he doesnât fit, then I can work to adapt him into something that WOULD fit. What characteristics about him doesnât work. This is when I would need plotting help. If, lets say it was an all animal world, we can talk about what he is, his traits, and other such things. I am always happy to not use my icons- I just like to because I think theyâre neat and I worked hard on them.
WHAT WOULD HE BE DOING?- Any number of things. He likes throwing pebbles at people. He mainly guards and protects Sarvente and her things, but I know weâre talking besides this. He cannot cook, but he does actually sew, and he does read quite a bit. Working on his fist to fist fighting would be a big one. He likes secluded areas, which especially work for explorerâs and people who walk off the beaten path.
IS THERE ANYWHERE HE COULDNâT BE?- He wouldnât be at a bar. Ruv doesnât drink, at all. I also donât see him at any parties unless Sarv dragged him to them. Writing starters or plotting around those are perfectly fine, but do not expect his muse to be comfortable while heâs there.
HE SEEMS OVERPOWERED.- At times, he certainly can be, but only when he feels itâs necessary. He doesnât flaunt his abilities, and most he has are out of self preservation. If you as a mun are worried about him and what he can do, the best thing you can do is read my information, look into his wiki, and then come and talk to me. Ruv isnât someone who will 100% abuse what abilities he has, especially since now he is trying his best to be better for her since it makes her happy.
⟠Ëâč  ââ  GENERAL IDEAS TO HAVE YOUR CHARACTERS IN HIS UNIVERSE
LOCATIONS?- The Church, the back alleys, the karaoke bar (that primarily does rap battles), the Alternate dimension that Sarv made so that he can be loud and not retrain his voice.
MOTIVATIONS?- If your muse is in the FNF world, then be ready for some sick beats to be dropped. Your muse could be rescuing someone from the BBEG and going through the slew of minions to sing against. Thereâs always the alternative side of this of âwhat the hell is going on?â
MY CHARACTER ISNâT FROM THERE, SO THEY WOULDNâT FIT IN.- Well I do have a âmainâ verse which replaces raps with fists. Looking for someone important to them, in the search of a deep and hidden artifact within the search, the rumors of a man born 100 years ago- theres a lot to be found in the library if you looked.
WHAT DOES THE FNF WORLD CONSIST OF?- It consists of Demon Daddies, Singing Skeletons and Pumpkins, Tankmen, a Demonic Lemon Demon, Sentient Video Game Characters, and if you take the mods in you also have Demon, Angels, Ghosts, Deadly Exâs, Bomb Headed Men-- I promise your character will fit in at the end of the day.
ISNâT HE EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE AND HARD TO TALK TO?- He can be. He talks in very short sentences, however I do my best to give my reply enough that you can reply to. Actions, and I chose to be very descriptive with his expressions in this case. Ruv spend many years alone, and sometimes with him, actions speak louder than words. When you or your muse figure that out is up to you.
WELL WE CANâT DO AN ENTIRE THREAD IN A CHURCH.- I never said we had to. He is more than happy to leave the church should he want, and should there be a reason. Usually, (despite what it seems) he does like helping people, so you can lure him out that way ;)
#ââĄ âŸ Ëâč đœđđ đŹđđđ đđđđđđ đžđđ âč â ââ v. crossover.#ââĄ âŸ Ëâč đŽđ'đ đ¶. âč â ââ resources.#ââĄ âŸ Ëâč đŽđ'đ đ¶. âč â ââ psa & updates.#ââĄ âŸ Ëâč đŽđ'đ đ¶. âč â ââ save.#i added all i could think of#just so i could kinda help out when it came to plotting but#even if we don't know each others universes or anything#this is pretty comprehensive so i hope it helps#i spent a while on it and it should be pretty helpful to anyone who wants to write with me but has no idea how#now if you excuse me im going to scream because of how long this took#ââĄ âŸ Ëâč đŸđđđđđ đ°đđ âč â ââ headcanon.#ââĄ âŸ Ëâč đŸđđđđđ đ°đđ âč â ââ meta.
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New York
Another modern au, but this time, the whole crew shows up.....and they show up in New York, a hub of modern technology and culture. Aided by your friend, you help them acclimate to life in modern times. As if that wasnât enough, the crew tries to set you up with James, who is, admittedly, one of your fictional crushes. For @shadowsingeraxolotl
@emdrabblesâ @tesserphantom @paljonkaikenlaista @viper-official @wordsinwintersâ @groovyfluxie
~3350 words
~~~~~~~
     New York was a hub of activity, people flitting about from place to place in the early evening light. The diversity between people was staggering; hipsters walked on their way between stores, the well-dressed made their way to music halls and theaters, tourists took pictures of everything in sight, and tired-looking students drank their weight in coffee at each Starbucks.
     You, however, were just going home. Youâd spent the day on Manhattanâs waterfront, and you looked forward to coming back to tour the middle of the city later. You lived in Brooklyn, and spent some of your free time exploring the various sections of NYC. No matter how long a person lived in New York City, there was always more to see. Â
     You passed a small group of people who looked to be dressed in costumes. They looked like theyâd come straight out of a history book. Each of them were staring up and around at the surrounding skyscrapers with wide eyes, and you wondered if it was part of the act. One noticed your curiosity and beckoned you over.
     âCould you tell us where we are, love?â He asked. Dreadlocks hung to his shoulders, and he had on a costume like a pirate. In fact, he quite looked like Johnny Depp, and you wondered if there was a production of Pirates of the Caribbean going on nearby.
     Wouldnât have missed that for the world, you thought. How did I not see any advertising? âWhy, youâre in New York.â You played along, though you felt a bit shy around the strangers.
     âNew York?â Another man sputtered. He stood just behind you, and you turned to see a man in naval uniform.
     You smiled to yourself. The stricken expression on the manâs face was quite convincing. A good actor, I bet. Then you looked him over again, and you were sure all the color drained from your face, because he was the spitting image of James Norrington. Did I eat something, or am I just dreaming?
     âWonderful.â This came from a girl standing next to you, and you turned to see a girl who looked exactly like Elizabeth Swann. She was staring with wonder up at all the big buildings, eyes shining.
     And Elizabeth would like it, too. There was another, and you knew before looking that it was going to be Will Turner. He looked awkward, looking around with clear anxiety in his eyes.
     You swallowed. âYou must be lost.â You could feel your own anxiety skyrocketing. This is insane. Iâm insane. This canât be real. Instead of saying any of that, though, you said, âDo you need a place to stay?â
     âThat would be wonderful, love.â As calm as he was trying to sound, there was some tension in Jackâs voice. You couldnât blame him.
     âWe can get an Uber. Or two. OrâŠ.â It might just be best if I called a friend. No driver could take five people in the small cars Uber drivers usually had, and they certainly wouldnât fit in a taxi. âIâll just call a friend.â
     It felt odd, standing there, in the middle of the street, with a bunch of strangers dressed in eighteenth century garb, waiting for your friend to show up. They had a van, and you could count on it to fit everyone.
     You had to wait a long time. Traffic in Manhattan was something else; the crush of cabs, busses, and cars made driving through the area a nightmare. You tried quietly convincing your new companions not to stare at things. The statement went both ways. You wanted to gape at the little group, but you knew it was rude. Still, they literally came right out of a story. I think that warrants for staring a little.
     In your peripheral vision, you could just see Norringtonâs coat sleeve. Norrington. A man that youâd had a crush on since youâd first watched the series. You could feel yourself fidgeting in embarrassment, wanting nothing more than to retreat to the safety of home. Then it struck you: Iâm going to have all these people in my house. The one place where I can retreat from people. You sighed. Thisâll resolve itself. It has to. Right?
     Finally, your friend arrived. They pulled up to the curb, the window to the driverâs side rolling down. âYou owe me, fam.â Your friend called out. âWhat was so importâoh.â They stared at the little gathering.
     You ushered the group into the van, instructing them on how to properly use seatbelts. You hopped in the passengerâs seat, looking over to your friend with what you knew were dazed eyes. âYeah,â you said. âI owe you.â
     There was a collective gasp as the van drove off. You could hear dull thuds from where the characters had thrown out their hands. Elizabeth, at least, was smiling. You could see her in the rearview mirror, her face pressed up against the vanâs tinted windows, fingers splayed against the glass. Clearly, she was enraptured. James, on the other hand, had drained of color. You felt badly for him. This definitely wasnât what heâd signed up for upon entering the Navy.
     You pulled into the parking lot of your apartment, ushering everyone inside. The less people saw of your visitors, the better. You had them gather in your small living room while you pulled your friend aside into the bathroom.
     âI just found them on the street,â you explained. âAnd you can see them too, which means Iâm not insane.â
     âYeahâŠ.Still not sure what we should do with them. Should we turn them in to the police or something?â
     Somehow, the thought didnât seem right. âThe police will probably try to put them in a psych ward.â
     âYou might be right on that one.â Your friend sighed. âI donât know where you plan to keep them. This isnât the roomiest of places.â
     âItâll have to do.â You shrugged. âAnd thanks. For helping me out. For going along with all this.â
     They smiled. âI donât think I have a choice.â
     You stepped back out into the living room to see four expectant faces staring back at you. You had to explain a lot to them, and the task was daunting. You didnât even know where to start. âIâm guessing that youâre all a little confused,â you began.
     âThatâs an understatement, mate.â Jack picked his way across the room, looking at your furniture, electronics, and decorations. He poked and prodded at a few things, making the ridiculous facial expressions he was famous for.
     âAs I told you earlier,â you continued, âyouâre in New York City.â
     âThis certainly isnât how I remember the Colonies.â Norrington looked around the small room, a frown in place.
     âAnd Iâve seen some strange things, love, but this canât be New York,â Jack added.
     âWellâŠ.you also happen to beâŠ.â Even the thought of it sounded ridiculous. Welcome to the twenty-first century! Here are three hundred years worth of war, politics, culture, and technology to catch up on! âYouâre also a couple hundred years in the future.â You watched worriedly for their response, but all you got were four sets of eyes.
     âA couple?â Norrington was white as a sheet.
     âThree, I think.â
     âThree.â
     You all stared at each other, including your friend, who looked around the room with concern. It was at this moment that Will flipped the lightswitch, causing everything to go dark. There were exclamations from the four pirates. Pirates. Probably shouldnât bring that up. For all I know, Jack is still the only true pirate here, and the rest hadnât fallen in yet before they got here. Suddenly, Will flipped the switch again, and your eyes had to adjust back to the light. The panic subsidedâfor the moment.
     âElectricity,â you explained. âWe donât use candles anymore.â
     âConvenient.â This came from Will, who was squinting at a lightbulb.
     âYeah. Might not want to stare at that, though.â Will nodded at your suggestion, but kept glancing back at it as if it would suddenly change.
     At some point, Norrington must have regained his composure, despite the slight pinch he gave the bridge of his nose. You expected that it was a common gesture for him, what with his line of work. âYou must be overwhelmed, having us here. Youâve been very kind to take us in. If you can think of anything you might need help with, weâd be happy to help you.â He gave a sharp look to each of his companions and an awkward smile to you.
     You nodded, indeed feeling quite overwhelmed. The realization that youâd have to keep them in your apartment and feed them did nothing to help. You eventually figured out sleeping arrangements, though you felt badly about the lack of space. Elizabeth would share your bed with you, and the boys would take the living room. Your friend left to find suitable clothes for everyone, and you thanked them profusely.
     You woke up early the next morning, full of stress. You padded softly through the living room into the kitchen, trying not to wake anybody, looking for food to make everyone. James stirred as you passed him. He was laying on the couch, though it was too small for him, and his feet were dangling over the edge. He shifted, yawning a little and stretching out. Heâd doffed his wig and hat, leaving his hair to poke out at all angles. You found it adorable. He looked up at you with tired eyes, and you looked back with what you knew was equally messy hair.
     âMorning,â you whispered.
     âGood morning.â He gave you a small, soft smile and stood up from the couch. âCan I help you with anything?â
     âDo you know how to make crepes?â
     âUnfortunately not.â He looked a little awkward, but it was clear he wanted to help.
     âYou can help me fill them.â You gave him what you hoped was a reassuring smile, and he followed you into the kitchen.
     It was strange, to have company in a kitchen that usually only held you. It was nice, too. James was a welcome presence, spreading jams, peanut butter, and nutella across the crepes you made. You gave him some ham to add to them, too, in case someone preferred a savory option. Crepes could, in your opinion, get overly sweet.
     You caught a smile on Jamesâ face. âThis reminds me of times gone by,â he admitted. âWhen I was a child in England. I used to watch the women in the kitchens preparing food. Theyâd give me small tasks to do, sometimes. It was,â you watched him search for the right word, ânice. It still is.â He looked over at you, a little blush tinting his cheeks. You felt yourself blushing right back, though you couldnât say the feeling was unpleasant.
     Breakfast was eaten with gusto, and though youâd feared it might be awkwardly silent, the group had a never-ending string of questions. Elizabeth voiced her desire to explore, and you figured it couldnât hurt to take them back to Manhattan. The world had seen stranger things than supposedly enraptured tourists.
     Your friend stopped by with clothes and volunteered to go with you so they could drive you in their van. You were more than thankful for it. You let the group change, smiling to see modern styles on them. Elizabeth was a sight in particular, wearing a lovely little floral dress. The boys looked at her with varying degrees of embarrassment. They werenât used to seeing ankles, much less knees.
     You changed into your own clothes. You almost found yourself looking forward to playing tour-guide. I planned on going back to Manhattan anyway, so why not with some others? You knew it would tire you out a little, but you were growing more and more excited to properly get to know the group. They were some of your favorite characters, after all. This is like a childâs Disneyland dream come true.
     The first place you stopped was, of course, Times Square. You wanted the group to see the extent of todayâs technology, the overwhelming lights blaring at you from a thousand different screens. There would be a crush of people, as usual, and the towering buildings always made you feel small. You could only wonder at how your group would feel, so new to all these sights and sounds, and so far from home.
     Your friend found a parking spot a couple blocks away, and you all slid out of the car onto the concrete. You noticed how Will immediately took Elizabethâs hand, and how even Jack walked alongside your friend.
     âThat leaves you with our host, Commodore,â Jack called, clearly amused.
     You could see that James was embarrassed, but he offered you his arm all the same. âShall we?â
     Equally embarrassed, you accepted. The two of you strolled arm in arm behind your friend as they led the group into the square. James stopped when you entered, looking up at the ads plastered across screens and billboards, and at the skyscrapers encased in glass. You found the wonder on his face to be enchanting.
     âTechnology really has progressed,â he managed to stutter.      âMore than you could ever know.â You looked out at the bright screens promoting movies, musicals, and all different sorts of companies. We changed so drastically in such a short amount of time.
     The rest of the group had stopped as well, staring with the same awe and reverence as James.
     âIâd been to New York, once,â said James. âWe had to stop in for supplies on the Dauntless. It was large then, but nowâŠ. I donât think Iâve ever felt so small.â Color dotted his cheeks.
     Ah. Heâs a man used to being comfortable in any situation, to being in control. You smiled to yourself. Though maybe not social situations. âItâs nothing like the past,â you agreed. âThough not everywhere is like this. Just big cities.â
     âIs London like this?â Elizabeth asked excitedly.
     âVery. But all the older architecture has been kept around, so thereâs a massive difference in styles.â
     âSpeaking of styles, we have a cathedral here from the nineteenth century. It might be cool to check that out.â
     The group agreed. It was a neat spot, surrounded by skyscrapers, strictly contrasting the modern styles. As you walked back to the car, you passed a group of teenagers. One girl looked up at you and James, smiling. âYouâre a cute couple,â she said as she passed by.
Â Â ïżœïżœ   You and James both blushed, and you opened your mouths to protest that you were not, in fact, a couple, but she was gone before you could get a word out. Too embarrassed to look each other in the eye, you stared at the ground. When you looked up again, you could see the smirking faces of the rest of the group, your friend among them. Even Will was giving you a little smile.
     When you got to the car, Jack hopped in the passengerâs seat as your friend drove. That left you to squish in next to James, and you could tell by the look on Jackâs face that heâd meant for it to happen. Your friend turned the radio on, saving you from having to make awkward conversation. James was pressed right next to you, his thigh and arm against yours, and you fiddled with the bottoms of your sleeves to keep your mind preoccupied. Not that it works. James, too, was using a similar tactic, though you could tell he was acutely aware of your proximity.
     Finally, you found a place to park near the cathedral, and you slipped out of the car, thankful to be out of an awkward situation, but missing the warmth of Jamesâ body against yours.
     St. Patrickâs Cathedral looked short compared to its neighboring buildings, though you still had to crane your neck up to see the top of the spires. It was heavily decorated in the Neo-Gothic style, and you were sure that most of your group had seen the like before. The Gothic style had been around for centuries, and though the Neo-Gothic style had some of its own features, the two were very much alike.
     You toured the cathedral in pairs, walking silently through the echoing nave. âIâve never been much one for religion,â whispered Jack, âbut these churches do command a certain respect.â
     That was true enough. Even to the nonbeliever, a cathedral demanded respect and reverence. The air in them was different, somehow, heavier. Every sound was magnified. Every careless footfall echoed throughout the chambers like a rockslide might echo in a canyon.
     âIt reminds me of England,â James said. âMy family used to go to Canterbury for Christmas. The cathedral there was much like this one. Bigger, perhaps, but similar.â He stared with sad eyes up at the arches and stained glass. âIt seems so long ago, now.â
     You gave his hand a squeeze. âWeâll find a way to get you home.â The words sounded unconvincing, even to your own ears, but James smiled appreciatively all the same.
     Your third and final stop of the day was the Statue of Liberty. One of the most iconic pieces in America, you figured the group had to see it. You explained that it was a symbol of liberty and freedom while in the car.
     âFreedom?â James asked.
     You knew you had to break it to them sometime, and you supposed that now was the best time to do so. âFrom Britain. Weâre not colonies anymore.â Your friend parked the car in a space where you could see the statue from across the water.
     âWhat happened?â
     âWe had a revolution. Britain was taxing us unfairly, so we decided to start our own country.â
     âAvoiding taxes?â Jack grinned, joining the conversation. âSounds like something a pirate might do, love.â
     âIt was more complicated than that.â Still, you couldnât suppress a smile. âIt was taxation without representation.â
     âIf you say so, mate.â
     âThe world must be very different,â said James. âNew borders, new countries. And Britain has probably lost many of its colonies, by now.â He looked sad, worried, even.
     âYes, it has. But itâs still a strong country with a good economy, and is looked to as a world leader. The world may change, but the powers remain, taking power in new ways.â
     He nodded. âThey always are.â
     You returned home afterwards and talked to your friend about what you should make for dinner. They smiled at you. âYou should get Norrington to help you. The two of you are adorable, and I think he likes you.â They leaned in. âBesides, I know youâve had a crush on him ever since you watched those movies.â Your friend winked, leaving you alone to blush as they went on to talk to the group.
     When you got to the kitchen, you saw that Jack, Elizabeth, and Will had had much the same idea for James. He stood there, awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. âToday was lovely.â He looked at you bashfully, and you couldnât help giving him a small smile back.
     âThank you. IâŠ.â You didnât really have words, so you trailed off into awkward silence, grabbing the ingredients for dinner.
     James helped, getting things out of the fridge for you, though he stared at it like it was from an alien planet. To him, it is.
     He passed the food to you, but his hand lingered on yours, and you felt yourself blush. You set the food down, turning back to him. Gently, he took your hand in his, raising it to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but clearly couldnât think of anything.
     You stepped forward, a little uncertainly, and kissed him on the cheek. He went red, and so did you. You stepped back, returning to your cooking. He watched, helping where he could, and you settled into a comfortable silence, goofy smiles across your faces.
     Living with this group has its upsides, I suppose. James, I think, accounts for ten of them.
#potc#pirate#pirates#pirates of the caribbean#James norrington#norrinton#commodore norrington#modern au#au#fanfic#potc fanfic#x reader#self insert#potc x reader#drabble#drabbles#request#requests#writings
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Voluptas Noctis Aeternae {Part 3.2}

*Severus Snape x OC*
Summary: It is the year 1983 when the ordinary life of Robin Mitchell takes a drastic turn: she is accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the struggles of being a muggle-born in Slytherin, she soon discovers her passion for Potions, and even manages the impossible: gaining the favor of Severus Snape. Throughout the years, Robin finds that the not quite so ordinary Potions Professor goes from being a brooding stranger to being more than she had ever deemed possible. An ally, a mentor, a friend... and eventually, the person she loves the most. Through adventure, prophecies and the little struggles of daily life in a castle full of mysteries, Robin chooses a path for herself, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, and two people abandoned by the world can finally find a home.
General warnings: professor x student (however no underage romance), blood, violence, trauma, neglectful families, bullying, cursing
Words: 5.3k
Read Part 1.1 here! All Parts can be found on the Masterlist!
______________________________
The thing about making promises as someone who's inherently loyal is, unfortunately, that you leave yourself no choice but to keep them.
Seeing as Robin had assured Professor Snape that she wouldn't study in the hallways anymore, she found herself highly uncomfortable in the common room once again on Monday night. Her divination homework was spread out in front of her on the table, while simultaneously some other students used the same piece of furniture to store their disgustingly sticky sweets and some kind of soda. Of course it had to go wrong. How else would she be reminded of why she dreaded this place in the evenings. The disaster unfolded, the soda was knocked over and emptied its entire contents all over the table, and all over Robin's homework essay. At least she had been graced with fast reflexes, which allowed her to save her textbook and quill at least and jump out of the way before the inevitable wave of sparkling pink fluid with a swirling dash of black ink swept over the edge of the table. Her essay, however, was lost in the floods.
A small apology was all she got in return, along with a few confused whispers once Robin tried to undo the damage by using the spell she'd learned from Snape's book during the last winter break. It indeed turned the water into a fine mist at first, then dissolved it completely, but unfortunately it also dissolved the ink on Robin's parchment, and instead left behind all the sticky sweetness that hadn't dissolved with the water. Right⊠this just worked with natural substances.
"How did you do that?!" An astonished first year asked Robin with wide eyes directed at where the water had been sloshing around mere seconds ago. "Will I be learning that too?"
"Unlikely." Robin mumbled in annoyance, not at the kid, but the overall situation. Now that the three pages of her essay were basically blank parchment again, and she currently held everything else she'd brought neatly in her hands, she saw no reason in cleaning the rest of the mess up herself. With the intention to at least not make enemies in the grades below her as well, she turned to the kid once more. "Just be nice to your professors and they might show you something handy like that." Then, without another word, she made her way out of the common room and into her dorm. If she'd have to rewrite the entire goddamn essay tomorrow after classes in addition to her usual work, she seriously needed to get some sleep.
Tuesday turned out to be just the way Monday had ended. Robin overslept (which literally never happened), upon which she had to skip breakfast to make it to class, and then ran from one subject to the next for the entire day, only to spend all remaining time until the evening by trying to get as much minor homework done as she possibly could. By the time she walked into the great hall for dinner, she felt so on edge that her stomach protested even at the prospect of eating a single pea. But she'd already missed breakfast and then skipped lunch to finish up a chapter in her book before afternoon classes⊠She at least had to try to eat something, or she might just collapse like her carefully constructed composure had done hours ago.
"Hey jay, what's all that talk about that you used some bloody weird spell last night?" A boy in her grade, who was sitting a few spaces over at the Slytherin table, asked immediately once Robin took a seat in one of the only empty spots. Being fashionably late, even if by fortune rather than favor, came at the price of having no say about bench neighbors. "Did you make up something new to impress the teachers?" A few people chuckled at the boy's comment and turned to Robin expectantly for an answer.
"Shut up David." She snapped at him with a glare, while her stomach reminded her that it strictly refused to take any more stress tonight. Really, Robin already felt very much like just imploding and ceasing to exist at a moment's notice today. And out of all the times her classmates could have chosen to pick on her this week, of course it had to be today, the one day she really couldn't be bothered with any more annoyances.
Within the next fifteen minutes Robin got exactly one piece of bread down, before she simply gave up on dinner and its inherent company altogether. As subtly as she could, she rose to her feet and made for a quick exit to head back to her dorm way before dinner ended. That at least gave her a good twenty minutes all to herself, before at last the other girls returned to the shared bedroom and thus inevitably made it impossible for Robin to do her work in the same space. With a sigh that bordered between resignation and desperation, she stuffed her trusty leather backpack with all things needed for today's assignments, as well as a bar of Twirls for the unlikely case that her appetite should return at any point in the next couple hours.
Then she made her way back into the common room with the utmost determination to make it work tonight. And at first it seriously looked like it actually could. It was rather empty in comparison to other nights, more or less quiet as well, almost possible to focus⊠Then however dinner time was officially over, and people entered the room like a flash flood. Or rather⊠a flesh flood.
The book in Robin's lap shook with the nervous jittering of her right leg, and her mind went in and out of focus as her eyes lifted on their own account to scan each new person entering the room. She tried directly facing the wall to make herself stop after half an hour of her eyes skipping from the page to the door. That however led Robin to a rawly-anxious state of mind where every loud or sudden noise made her jump, and her fingers dig into the spine of her book until her knuckles turned white. The tension that coiled her muscles into knots every time she startled never quite left her body, and after a while she started to shift in her seat in restless discomfort. The frown that had long ago set on her face almost made her eyes water in its attempt to help her to focus by merely squeezing her eyebrows together, but it only served to give her a headache. Indeed, the more she had to focus on staying calm, the more she realized that her mission to make this work was failing. And just like that, slowly, the thudding of her heart and the adrenaline in her blood drove her painfully insane. Just breathe, bloody idiot! This is a complete overreaction⊠more than likely just some stupid puberty thing. RidiculousâŠ
She wanted to yell at everything and everyone to just shut up and stop overwhelming her senses like that. Wasn't that something people supposedly did when they were (almost) 14? Not that Robin would know⊠her parents used to joke how she'd just jumped from childhood straight to adulthood without the awkward teenage phase. Well, maybe this entire lack-of-basic-functioning was just teenage-hood finally catching up with her.
She managed another forty minutes of restless reading, until she reached the end of the chapter only to realize that she could not remember a single word her eyes had traveled over. What book was she even reading?! Oh god⊠she would never finish this essay! A sharp tug in her chest and a new wave of nauseous heat accompanied the thought. She would fail this essay, and then the entire class, and then she'd be expelled. Bloody hell, she will end up cast out of both the muggle and the wizarding world! No, she had to do something, anything, she needed to get out of here⊠now.
The air seemed to be sucked out of the room as Robin threw her book into her backpack and her backpack over her shoulders. She didn't care that she felt dizzy. She didn't care that people were watching her abrupt exit like she had gone mad. All she felt was the painful thudding in her chest, the shame, and the tears stinging in her eyes. Before she could fathom to stop or even just slow down for a moment, she was hurrying through the pitch black hallways as if she could simply get rid of the dreadful feeling by going into a blind run. Outrunning her emotions. Just a minute in the courtyard, a minute under the stars or in the darkness of the night and she would be fine, she could just-...
A surging whiplash of electricity hit her body as she blindly ran into a solid surface that made her trip over her own feet and land on her butt, startling her enough to lose control over her unshed tears at last. For a second she blinked up at the blurry figure she'd run into, before being forced back onto her feet by a new wave of adrenaline released into her veins and the still persisting urge to run.
"Not. So. FastâŠ" The all-too familiar voice of her favorite professor sent a shiver down Robin's spine, but she also couldn't help the impulsive decision to simply walk on. Her body currently held her rational mind hostage, just as she was held in place by a firm grip on both her shoulders before she could bolt.
No no no⊠he had to let her move on or she would explode into a wailing heap of tears and misery. Or worse, she might yell at him. He would hate her. Even more than he already did anyway. Everyone hated her. She didn't want him to hate her⊠But she couldn't tell him that, she couldn't even voice any of her thoughts as they remained in their painful ambivalence of tumbling over one another and yet staying completely absent. She just wanted to be left alone⊠to die already and be rid of this torture.
"Breathe, RobinâŠ" The sound of calmness, of darkness. "Count to six while you breathe in and count to six while you breathe out. You will be alright."
As if her body was trained to obey his solemn command, to ultimately trust his every word, she complied and closed her eyes. One⊠two⊠three⊠four⊠five⊠six⊠She was drowning, literally drowning. Six⊠five⊠four⊠three⊠two⊠one⊠Breathing hurt. It was painful, but getting better. One⊠two⊠three⊠four⊠five⊠six⊠Why wasn't he mad at her?! He was Snape⊠he was always mad when she did something ridiculous. Six⊠five⊠four⊠three⊠two⊠one⊠He still had his hands placed on her shoulders. She found that she didn't mind. Not the least bit, actually. One⊠two⊠three⊠four⊠five⊠six⊠She felt like her body actually started obeying her mind once again. The painful tension was fading away, the ringing in her ears died down and only her heart was still beating too fast. She could deal with that. Six⊠five⊠four⊠three⊠two⊠one⊠Robin opened her eyes, and despite the thick darkness, she was met with almost black ones in return. Another shiver ran over her skin.
"I'm sorryâŠ" She finally managed to speak in merely a whisper, and a second later an overwhelming wave of guilt closed up her throat altogether. This really was a whole new level of being a bother. He had to hate her now⊠Wait, had he really used her first name a minute ago? It was all a bit of a blur in her mindâŠ
"Don't." Snape merely said, and let go of one of her shoulders at last to pull her along through the corridors and into the empty potions classroom. As the door closed behind them, he finally turned towards her once more with a mixed expression. "Care to explain?"
"I will, just⊠give me a moment, please." She brought out, then carefully dropped her backpack on the floor and slowly walked from one end of the classroom to the other, pacing back and forth while Snape sat down on the edge of his desk and watched her in silence. Finally she felt enough like herself once more to talk to him, even if she wasn't entirely sure what he expected to hear. So that's where she started. "I don't know what to sayâŠ"
"Is this a usual occurrence? You running through the hallways in blind panic?"
"NoâŠ" Robin finally stopped in her avoidant movements, but still looked everywhere other than at the potions professor. "I mean⊠yes. But no. Ever since the start of term, I⊠it'sâŠ" Robin sighed, then sat down in her usual seat in the second row and put her head in her hands for a moment to collect her thoughts, while Snape waited patiently for her to go on. Finally she took a breath and lifted her eyes to look up at him. "I really shouldn't have told you that I wouldn't study in the hallways anymore⊠it's the only place I can bear to be at certain times. Ever since the start of term I've had trouble being around people. Not generally, I mean, just⊠working there, in the common room. I can't focus on my work, no matter what I do, and it always ends with me feeling like I'm going to die. Then I run and hide in the hallway. It's just⊠what I do to-... to cope without bothering anyone." She shrugged, more so to herself than to him. "I know it's probably just some pathetic teenager thing. It's nothing, really, and I already feel embarrassed enough by how stupid that all sounds⊠And I should probably stop talking."
"You should have told me."
"What?" Robin blinked at him in irritation. This is not the response she had expected. Mocking, yes. Scolding, even more likely. But not⊠something that sounded an unlikely lot like understanding. Remorse even! Surely she was misinterpreting that.
"You should have told me on Sunday what you told me now, and matters would not have come this far." He replied reproachfully, which was already way more likely on the scale of his normal subtones, and moved away from his desk towards the door.
"Well, it's not something you simply tell people! At least not without a darn good reasonâŠ" Robin defended herself quietly while avoiding his eye once more. He already knew quite enough, he didn't need to see her blushing over it like a damn idiot as well. "And no offense, professor, but I doubt that there is much you can do about it anyway. It's probably just⊠nature, or⊠something." She cringed as the words left her lips, but she would only embarrass herself even more if she spoke on in an attempt to make it any better.
"You may have failed to notice that you are sitting at a desk in a decently lit classroom right now instead of cowering on the ground in a dark hallway."
"Actually I was quite aware of that." A small smile accompanied the frown on Robin's face now as she turned around to face him standing by the door. "But⊠you seem to be making a different point with that statement and I⊠don't get it."
"Would you like me to spell it out for you?!" He rolled his eyes, looking equally annoyed and uncomfortable. The kind of uncomfortable he always wore when he got caught doing something nice.
"I'd actually appreciate that a lot, sir." She replied with an insecure half smile, even though she knew that his comment had been mere sarcasm. "This⊠thing, in the common room, has left me a bit⊠slow, for the moment. Sorry⊠I guess I'm back to being a dunderhead for the moment."
"Do you remember the advanced spell to lock and unlock doors which I taught you in your first year?"
"Yes, of course."
"It is commonly used to lock the classrooms. All classrooms, to be exact, in the entire school. However I would prefer if you made use of that knowledge solely on the doors to my own classrooms, should you find yourself in need of a⊠suitable study space again." He gave her a pointed look, then disappeared out into the hallway without another word.
Robin stared at the now closed door for another moment, and listened to her own heartbeat and the silence it was filling. He trusted her enough to allow her to study here, and even come and go at will. That⊠wow. Robin felt honored, in a way, and definitely privileged. She'd felt proud to be allowed to break curfew, but this was a step further into what honestly started to look like trust. Severus Snape trusted her, even if only ever so slightly. Hadn't she been so emotionally exhausted from the events of today overall and tonight in particular, she would have smiled brighter than the sun. She felt like smiling brighter than the sun, actually⊠but all her body allowed for now was a small but grateful smile. Yeah, she'd happily write a thousand labels for him as a thank you for this⊠and a couple more as an apology for making him do something nice. For now however she still had an essay to write for divination, and she would make sure that it turned out even better than the first.
⊠⊠âŠ
About an hour later, Professor Snape returned to the classroom in the same silence he had left with. Robin looked up from her work as her ears picked up on the movement, and she followed him with her eyes as he sat down behind his desk with a stack of paperwork. For a moment, he returned the gaze with the same calm expression he had worn in the lab two days ago, and Robin wondered what he might possibly be thinking. Then he focused on his own work, and Robin did the same.
For two more hours they sat in silence like this, each working on their respective tasks in the dim light of the few lit candles in the room. Robin hadn't been able to work this well for this long ever since the start of term, maybe even longer than that, and she couldn't quite believe just how lucky she was to have ended up here now. Lucky, and grateful. Just sitting in Snape's classroom with him, way past curfew and in comfortable silence, she felt like she was able to relax for the first time in over twenty four hours. In addition to that, her essay was turning out to be amazing. This might not beat last Sunday night, with all the amazing wonders the lab had to offer, but it was a pretty close second.
Once the essay was done and packed up to be handed in tomorrow, Robin made the pleasant discovery that the Twirl she had packed was still unharmed and not entirely smashed after how she'd thrown her book into the backpack earlier. Pleased with herself for packing the candy in the first place, she grabbed it out of her backpack along with the book she intended to read next.
"You brought chocolate to Hogwarts?" Snape raised an eyebrow at her in what almost looked like amusement, and Robin had to smile at the fact that this was what finally had led him to disrupt the silence. "Isn't the insufferable amount of sweets served here quite enough?"
"It's not nearly the same, actually." Robin replied neutrally, then took one of the chocolate bars out of the package to place it on her desk before looking back at Snape. "Do you⊠uh, would you like one? I mean⊠I'd be happy to share. Still haven't gotten used to having two chocolates in one packageâŠ"
"And what exactly would be the use of that for you?"
"Eating chocolate or sharing? Actually-... Well, I guess it doesn't matter, actually⊠both tend to be quite delightful." Robin shrugged as she rose to her feet and walked over to his desk to place the second piece of chocolate in front of him. Seeing as he still looked doubtful, Robin rolled her eyes even though she knew she shouldn't. "I'm not going to poison you! I'm⊠just trying to be nice. And hoping you won't yell at me."
While Snape continued to frown at her, then at the chocolate on his desk, Robin sat back down at her own desk with a sigh and went to enjoy her treat. Why couldn't he simply accept a kind gesture without being all weird about it? It made Robin feel weird in return⊠but she also refused to let that stop her from being nice to him. He probably didn't believe that anyone would be kind to him for the same reason he found it so hard to believe that Robin didn't mind, and even appreciated his company. Well, in case she or anyone on this planet hadn't noticed before now⊠her potions professor was different. Not different from anything in particular, just different. Yet she couldn't help wondering⊠had he ever tried muggle candy before? Chances were ridiculously high that he didn't even-...
"There indeed is nothing like Twirls in Hogwarts⊠I had no idea they sold them as twin bars these days though." He mused after a moment, then snatched the piece of chocolate off his desk to eat while resuming his work as if nothing had interrupted him in the first place.
Robin felt baffled for a moment⊠he actually knew that they hadn't always come packaged like this?! Most of the kids in her house didn't even know what a TV was⊠leave alone a random brand of sweets. How come he knew? But Robin knew that it wasn't her place to ask... She'd already stretched her luck quite enough by offering him chocolate in the first place. But in terms of being kind, it really was an improvement to having the house elves bringing him cake, just like her using his classrooms as a study space was an improvement in terms of trust. Somehow, Robin felt like they were making progress. But she didn't yet know which goal they were trying to reach.
⊠⊠âŠ
After Tuesday night, Robin declared the potions classroom to be her personal sanctuary. Thus it was no surprise that on Wednesday night she was back in front of the door, only to find it locked. However seeing as Snape had been rather direct about her being allowed and expected to let herself in, she didn't hesitate to make good use of the spell she'd learned in her first year. From some time after dinner until way after midnight, Robin was alone in the classroom, working and reading and simply enjoying the fact that she was entirely on her own. Solitude was hard to come by around here⊠so she treasured every second she had to herself, before at last she made her way back to her dorm. She didn't run into a single person that night, and it was absolutely blissful.
On Thursday night Robin had to let herself into the room yet again, but after an hour of being alone, Professor Snape burst into the room like a black whirlwind or a thundercloud, which in return caused Robin to jump with a yelp. He stared at her in surprise for a second, frozen in his spot in the middle of the room now after the dramatic entrance, but then his entire demeanour slowly changed from threatening tension to calm neutrality and he moved on into his office, only to come back with a stack of notebooks a moment later. Still without saying a single word, he sat down at his desk in the front of the classroom and started to work. Whatever he had been upset about a moment ago, to Robin it seemed to have faded for now. Or he'd just gotten better at hiding it. However Robin had also gotten better at reading his barely-existent expressions and tiny tells, and thus it was more than likely that he felt calmer now for real. The thought made Robin smile as she turned back to her work. Perhaps this sanctuary wasn't only hers to escape to after all.
On Friday night, Robin found herself with a surprising lack of assignments for the next week, which left only her private studies to delve into. However due to exactly that reason, she decided to take a walk down to the lake after dinner, before curfew would limit her to the castle grounds alone. It was still surprisingly warm for the beginning of October, and thus she strolled along the shore until the time of night forced her to return to the castle. Once back inside, she made her direct way to the potions classroom without even bothering to return to her dorm first, seeing as she carried her backpack with her anyway, and thus all of the books she could possibly read. To her surprise, the door was unlocked already, but she stepped into the room to find it empty and in darkness. Well, the back of the room where Robin was currently situated was dark. The door leading to Snape's office however stood wide open, and the faint light radiating out of the office dimly illuminated the very front of the classroom.
Without wasting any more time standing in the dark like an idiot, Robin closed the door behind herself, lit the candles with a single word and then sat down in her usual spot. Somehow it only now appeared to her that up until this week, Snape had always been working in his office whenever she had seen him working in the evenings, and not once in the classroom. Had he started working here to keep an eye on her? No, she'd been alone here all of Wednesday, and multiple hours over the other two days. Huh⊠how curious. Robin then settled for the explanation that he also didn't mind some company at times. And the desk here in the classroom seemed a whole lot larger than the one in his office.
"Miss MitchellâŠ" His voice stopped her before she even had the chance to unpack any of her books from her backpack.
"Good evening, professor." She replied in a hint of surprise at actually being talked to after the enduring silence of the previous night, and meanwhile followed him with her eyes as he made his way out of the office with a book in his hands that might as well be older than the castle. "Is⊠is everything alright?"
"Indeed. However I⊠would like to ask for your assistance." His voice didn't let on anything at all once more, and Robin didn't know if she should feel nervous or excited. Her heartbeat sped up anyway.
"My-... My assistance?" She frowned a little, but snapped out of her insecurity in a second. This was her chance to help him another time, and she would take it no matter what. "I mean⊠of course, I'd be glad to. What is it you need my help with?"
He placed the book on his desk and motioned for Robin to come over as well, which she did while he explained. "I was in the fortunate position to acquire this unique piece of literature over the summer, but it appears to be missing one single page, which however I suspect to be of crucial importance to fully understanding everything else. Since the page was not simply torn out of the book, it also cannot simply be restored either."
Robin stood next to Snape at his desk and carefully inspected the heavy tome for a moment. It was bound in shabby but decently restored leather, with the barest hint of a gold inscription on the spine that however had long before rubbed off. Not much to go by⊠what kind of literature was this even? After a moment she looked up from the book to meet her professor's eyes. "How could I be of any help with that? I mean, I absolutely would help you if I could, but I very much doubt that there's anything I can do if even you didn't know a suitable spell. Maybe you could ask Professor Flitwick, or Professor McGonagall, orâŠ"
"I asked for your assistance, did I not?"
Robin nodded, but the frown stayed on her face nonetheless. "Yes, sir⊠but I'm afraid I'll only disappoint you even if I tried. I have no idea how to restore the page as it is."
"I would not be so certain about that. You are in the possession of something that could very well be of vital assistance right now." He gave her a moment to think, and the gears in Robin's mind jumped into full action. Did she, really? But what-...
"The book about literature spells!" Her eyes widened at her own conclusion, and her lips remained agape with the realization. So that's why he had asked her! But how had he remembered that? It's been ages since she'd mentioned itâŠ
"Is it still in your possession?"
"Of course!" The smile was on her face before she could help herself. In an instant she was back at her own desk and digging through her backpack with her right arm almost disappearing in the small bag up to her shoulder. Snape watched her with a risen eyebrow, and Robin felt the need to explain herself rising up with the heat on her cheeks. "Uh, I⊠carry a lot of books usually, so I used an extension charm I had previously researched for-⊠You know what, nevermind."
Snape looked so extremely unimpressed by her words that Robin had enough reason to assume that he actually was actually âat least partiallyâ impressed by her spellwork. Really, it was another odd thing about him that she'd discovered recently, the nearly indistinguishable difference between unimpressed, and 'unimpressed but actually quite impressed'. She hid her smile in her bag for a moment, until she came to the conclusion that the book in question wasn't in there. Thus she dropped the bag on her desk as she rose to her feet, and then turned back to Snape.
"The book is in my dorm room, since I hardly ever use it these days⊠But I'll go get it right now, so, uh, I'll be right back." With that she made for the door and left without waiting for a reply. Ten minutes later she walked back into the classroom at the same pace she had left with, eyes already fixed on the book as she flipped through the pages. "I'm afraid I only ever really studied half of it, seeing as the second half was pretty much useless for me at the time, but-..."
"Jay?! What the hell are you doing here? Must've gotten yourself into detention as well, huh?" The snarling voice of David âwho certainly had been a more than qualified replacement for Alexander in terms of bullying, ever since the duelling incidentâ made Robin look up from her book so fast and in so much surprise that she almost ran into the corner of a desk. In equal shock and incredulity she stared at David for a second, then at Professor Snape who had taken a seat behind his desk.
"You've got to be jokingâŠ"
______________________________
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â ïžÂ   *  what is up, party people !   iâm jojo ( she/her ), 23, and in the pst timezone.  itâs been a while since iâve been in a group so... pls bear with me.  anyway, under the cut youâll find more info on resident emo boy: link !  iâm so excited to write with u all, and, if u ever want to plot give this a lilâ like or send an im over @ yea right#4256 !
lincoln âlinkâ seong  was spotted in the fashion district adorning  prada combat boots, with some airpod pros on.  theyâre most likely listening to  when you were young by the killers.  you may know them as  @hyperlink  or as that  jeon jungkook  lookalike.  their  twenty - fourth  birthday just passed.  while living in  tribeca,  theyâve gained a bit of a reputation.  theyâre known to be  erratic  but on the other hand  vehement.  wonder if theyâll be the next person to hit the headlines.  ( cis male &  he/him )
âłÂ   THE BASICS:  STATISTICS.
full name:  seong hyunjae (  ì±Â íìŹÂ )  /  lincoln seong.
nickname: link, and will probably only answer to link !
age & date of birth:  24 & november 21, 1996.
hometown:  born in busan, south korea, but moved to jefferson, connecticut in 2006.
current location:  tribeca, new york.
education: completed high school and attempted first semester of university, but decided to pursue music instead.
occupation:  drummer for indie/alternative rock band, my time ( sound is similar to bands like the killers, the 1975, and paramore ).  also is an affiliate with an esports organization !  doesnât play competitively, but streams and creates content for them weekly.
sexual orientation:  pansexual & panromantic.
gender & pronouns:  cisgender male & he/him pronouns.
Ⳡ  THE  BACKGROUND:  BIOGRAPHY. (  tw: mentions of alcoholism & abuse )
seong hyunjae ( later given the english name lincoln seong... thanks linkin park !  )  was born in the heart of busan, south korea.  his parents married at the age of 21, due to the cultural expectations of having a child born out of wedlock.  while things seemed to be smooth sailing for a while,  the couple realized the real struggles of adulthood.  financial issues came into play.  stress from working multiple jobs every single day took a toll on their mental health, as well as their relationship with each other.  linkâs mother began to develop an alcohol addiction, and her abusive behavior came following after.  their home was falling apart, with four-year-old link falling asleep to muffled screaming and glass being thrown on the next room over.  his father was able to withstand it for a while, but he drew the line after coming home from work to see large cuts on the side of his sonâs thigh, and a bruise forming across his cheek.  that was when he knew his wife was dangerous.  so, one night when lincolnâs mother as at work, he packed his belongings, grabbed link, and left without looking back.
for a while, it was just the two of them.  they found ways to make it work, and despite the fact that it was a constant struggle, his father never wanted link to lose his childhood.  in fact, his father gave him everything he could give  â  but most importantly, as cheesy as it sounds, his  unconditional love and support.  as someone who lost his own parents young, he made sure that link would never feel like heâs being deprived of that, ever.  they created this tight-knight bond because of that, which canât ever be broken.  and now, linkâs fondest memories always involved spending time with his father.  one favorite memory of his involved morning jam sessions after breakfast.  linkâs father was previously a lead guitarist in a garage band with a few of his high school friends, so while he was playing riffs on his electric guitar, eight-year-old link would be banging the coffee table with plastic straws. Â
when link was about ten, he and his father sold all of their belongings and moved all the way to jefferson, connecticut for a job offer that he couldnât refuse.  fast forward a few years, and heâs a teenager in high school.  growing up link was more of an introvert, and would spend his time in the computer lab playing video games or browsing in online forums.  he was a regular in this my chemical romance forum ( under the username @hyperlink ), and made a lot of his lifelong friends over there.  one of his online friends jokingly suggested one afternoon that they should start a band over their nightly skype call, and while it was initially shrugged off as dream more than an armâs reach away, my time was born.  link had to endlessly plead his father to buy him a secondhand drum kit off of craigslist for christmas.  but once he found it under their tree that year, it sparked this drive in him to learn and practice nonstop.Â
their first official band practice happened a day after linkâs high school graduation ( which was also the first time everyone saw each other in person !  ), and they spent that entire summer making music.  at first, link only thought of it as a hobby... since, he was attending his first year of university that fall.  but after playing their first few shows and making all these memories,  he couldnât keep the band in the backburner.  he dropped out not too long after to pursue his music career full-time.  moved out, spent the next few months working long shifts at the local amusement park, and shared one two-bedroom apartment with his bandmates.  one of their songs went viral one crazy night,  and the next thing they knew, they were being signed into a record label.  now ?  theyâre one of the biggest alternative/indie rock bands out there with multiple platinum records, sold out world tours, and millions of streams each year.  their time finally came.
âł Â Â THE Â INSIDEÂ LOOK: Â Â PERSONALITY.
link definitely... gets babied a lot  ( by his bandmates and his fans ),  and he uses that to his advantage :]  because of that he gets away with  a lot of things, but itâs usually with things that are small like eating the last slice of pizza and it would be justified with  â no he is a growing BOY he NEEDS it ! â
that being said, he eats nonstop.  the guy carries a sandwich bag full of cheerios wherever he goes.  his friends know that if they canât finish eating something, they can always donate it to link for a good cause.
when my chemical romance announced their reunion tour in 2019, he threw his phone across the room and cried.  my chemical romance ( with green day and linkin park as a close second ! )  are his all-time favorite bands, and a lot of my timeâs sound is heavily inspired by them.
when i tell u that this man is so chill, i mean it.  like things could LITERALLY be on fire and heâd be like  â just throw some water on it itâll be fine đ â ... heâs not the type to worry about things, and is more of a go with the flow type of person.  he doesnât even need to be zooted to be like this.  KJFGDG
being in the band and a part of the entertainment industry caused a small shift in his personality.  maybe he just blossomed ?  who knows !  but because heâs been exposed to the rockstar life,  he was able to open up more.  heâs always seeking thrills, big or small, and wonât have the time to think about the consequences for his actions. Â
because the my chemical romance forum that was once his second home shut down,  heâs since moved on to reddit.  social media isnât really his thing ( and his fans always get mad at him for posting a selfie once a month then dipping ), but catch him on subreddits making comments or starting fights for the sheer entertainment of proving someone wrong.Â
this might sound bad but... he still canât wrap his head around the fact that he isnât ?  financially struggling anymore ?  even if heâs already bought a house and two luxury cars for his dad, he still gets ticked off if he sees something small like an APPLE  that is marked a dollar and a few cents over the usual.  he catches himself using things until theyâre ABSOLUTELY worn out, and still leeches off of his bandmates/friends when he can. <3  also, if something is broken, heâll be the type to figure it out and fix it himself.
people... donât exactly remember the last time heâs slept.  it could be the insomnia  (  itâs definitely insomnia, thx childhood  trauma !  ) but itâs almost gotten to the point where heâs afraid to fall asleep on his own.  heâll always try to find ways to sleep in someoneâs company, even if itâs just him crashing on a couch while someone is watching tv right there.  if heâs alone though, heâll always try to find ways to distract himself like stream for 10 hours straight.
speaking of trauma... heâs also scared of relationships. after witnessing the way his mother treated his father, heâs cautious of history repeating itself... but with him. so whenever he catches himself even falling for just a little, he dips.
his life revolves around the 4 mâs:  marvel movies, minecraft, music, and my chemical romance.  thatâs it.
a link đ  to his pinterest !  also, i donât have any wcs, but if we plot, i promise iâll use my big brain to brainstorm something with u. <3
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Alone Amongst the Gum Trees Part 4 - Digital News Report: Australia - A Murdoch Review
NOTE - this article has been migrated to Medium. As of 2021, A Taswegian Abroad will be closed down, and all of my writing will be published on my Medium profile.
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After seeing a significant public outcry to my story based on a response to Sally McManus on twitter - I recently spoke with the ABC on being an Aussie overseas and the challenges weâve faced getting home. The failure once again of Morrisonâs government to provide enough vaccines and a proper quarantine system (covered up by the Murdoch Press protection racket) is having real implications on everyday Australians.
I strongly believe that for this to change, the media needs to perform its function of holding both elected officials, and their peers in the press, accountable for such actions.
Until Australia has reestablished media fairness among the press, improved media literacy amongst its citizens, and have mostly removed the cancer of Murdochâs News Corp dominating mainstream media, we will never break this cycle of government ineptitude, gaslighting, negligence, and outright corruption with little to almost zero accountability.
You don't need to look far for proof. The ones that immediately come to mind for me:
2020 Bushfires and consistent climate change denial - "I don't hold a hose mate"
Freedom of speech is threatened where internet comedians get arrested in their own homes for making jokes about a LNP Deputy Premier
Kate and the horrendous Christian Porter alleged rape case
The four stage plan to make a plan about having a plan for Covid, 18 months into the pandemic, with literally no dates or vaccination targets.
Back in March, I caught onto calls for a Murdoch Royal Commission by former prime minister Kevin Rudd, and since then Iâve been keeping a very sharp eye on the Australian media landscape.
Despite over 500,000 petition signatures and the ramping exposure by Rudd online (leading to a full senate enquiry), the Murdoch press is doing its best to discredit, misdirect, or, blatantly ignore the storm thatâs brewing. A couple of major things have caught my attention since that date.
News Corp outlets are still consistently cowing their competitors at Nine, Seven, the ABC, and more into towing the pro-Coalition narrative THEY choose, or, risk facing character assassination. This applies to everyone who dares step out of line: reporters, ministers, producers, senators, editors, presenters, janitors⊠no one is safe.
This sort of behaviour and influence is not easy to show on graphs and charts, but if you read between the lines, you can see it. Let me show you.
The ABC Presents the Data
In April of 2021, the ABC published a fact-file article outlining the power of the Murdoch press - the first article from an at least somewhat reputable source addressing this that Iâve seen on this topic.
The biggest things I took from it are that despite there seeming to be a diverse ownership pool across many mediums, News Corp (Murdoch) newspapers significantly dominate the national market for print papers, and, have recently been crowned leaders of the #1 source of news for Australians: social media (via mostly viral, opinion, and video based content primarily from News.com.au and Sky News pages on Facebook and YouTube).
Remember this point - spoiler alert: itâs important.
At the recent senate enquiries, News Corp claims there is in fact diversity - focusing on different mediums such as online, social media, radio, television etc. available to represent âdiversityâ. This is response refers to medium diversity, and is quite frankly a misdirection based on a technicality to avoid the real question. Classic News Corp.
Rudd says âeach story published online or broadcast over the airwaves finds its point of origin in a print story, often a Murdoch print story". The former PM is referring to content diversity where factual reporting reigns supreme, and different points of view are given equal time in the sun without the blurring of opinion and fact.
As Kevin likes to say: âpigs might flyâ
While you might be thinking âso what? News Corp is strong in print and social, Nine is strong for television and online news, ABC is strong on radio and social, Seven is strong on radio and television etcâ - Iâd like to ask you a question: where then is the accountability for elected officials in the media?
The Murdoch press wonât say a word about the Coalitionâs ever growing laundry list of corruption, negligence, ineptitude or incompetence, but if a Labor politician sneezes, theyâre likely to be labelled a Covid super spreader on the front page of 15 national and state papers the next day.
How about this doozy from the Herald Sun in May 2021 after Dan Andrews quite literally broke his back and took medical leave:
I didnât see one peep from the Murdoch reptiles about Morrison's three day actual disappearing act only last week after his bogus "AstraZeneca is OK for under 40âs / go to your GPâ comments.
The key thing to point out here is that the news provider who ranks number one in Australia's largest news medium (social media) is a well known right wing protection racket that doesnât show any signs of slowing down, and there's mountains of evidence that exists to prove they donât play a fair game.
Letâs Go To the Numbers
To really drill down into how important online media control is, I found the Digital News Report: Australia 2021 (i.e âthe reportâ for the rest of this article), recently published by the University of Canberra by way of the Reuters Digital News Report: 2021
Below I've outlined a number of key headers from the report, and more specifically tried to point out exactly where Murdoch and News Corp are exploiting and manipulating their way into control. The data shows us both what has been going on, and the direction it will likely continue in.
Having worked in digital marketing for the better part of the last four years, I couldnât wait to dive into this data and explain just how much of a rort this all is for the sake of profit.
1: Local News
Replaced by Murdoch Sky News, Invests in Social Media
âFor âhard newsâ such as local politics, economy, crime and health, local news consumers continue to turn to traditional local news outlets, such as the newspaper or TV. However, for most other news and information, consumers are using internet search and other internet sites to get localised information.â
The report tells us that:
â2020 was a difficult year in Australian news sector, with news companies closing or suspended. This is in part a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it reflects a longer-term gradual decline in newspaper consumption that is replaced by online offeringsâ
So why did the BBC report in 2020 that Murdoch shuts 112 Australia print papers in major digital shift? CNN covered it too, as did the Guardian. I couldnât find anything on a Murdoch owned site or outlet. Thatâs because Rupert is rolling out âSky News Regionalâ to replace them all.
The report outlines:
âThis yearâs data highlights the important role of newspapers in generating a sense of community, particularly among older news consumers . Further, newspapers are perceived to be the best source of information about local government and politics, which is central to the functioning and accountability of local communities. It is important for industry and government to remember that the closure of a local newspaper not only leaves a gap in the provision of quality news, but also a loss of critical information that is connected to peopleâs sense of attachment to their communityâ
How on earth does one far-right Sydney run ânewsâ channel represent hundreds of regional communities? Answer: It doesnât - itâs designed to influence regional voters to think the way that suits the Murdoch press agenda.
2: Impartiality of News
Murdoch Cuts ABC Funding via Coalition, Ramps-Up Online Polarisation
The report tells us thatÂ
âtraditionally, values of independence, and impartiality â or âobjectivityâ â have been central to journalismâs mission and deemed important to perceptions of trust in news. However, in the digital media environment, former demarcations between news, features, opinion, and advertising continue to blur.
âNews audiences are becoming more polarised and are increasingly attracted to news brands that offer partisan perspectives.â
What youâre seeing here is that while the data reveals a strong desire for news outlets to attempt fairness, balance, and an impartial approach to reporting - the demographics more likely to use social media (the medium that Murdoch now leads, mostly containing Millennials and Gen Z) are less supportive of impartiality, neutrality and giving equal time. More on this in Part 8.
On the flip side:Â
"news consumers who prefer impartiality are much more likely to say they distrust news on social media.â
âBoth the 2020 and 2021 data highlight that these traditional journalism ideals are more strongly supported by older generations and those who use traditional sources of news."
You need not look further than the blatant defunding of the ABC to see how the Murdoch Cancer continues to take over.
So, if the majority of Australians believe the ABC is impartial and does a âgood jobâ, why has the ABC had $783m in funding cut since 2014 by the Coalition government?
Seems to suit the Murdoch agenda pretty nicely.
3: News Representation
Low Media Literacy in Under-Represented Demographics
âImportantly, a large proportion of Australians say they donât know if the amount of media coverage of âpeople like themâ is sufficient or fair. Those who have low education are much more likely to say they donât know. This indicates a lack of engagement and adequate media literacy to identify misrepresentation and bias in the news.
âCombined with a lack of awareness about misinformation, lower interest in and consumption of news, these findings confirm the ongoing need for targeted media literacy interventions"
The only way the public can push back against misinformation is by knowing theyâre witnessing it first hand. That does not suit what Murdoch is selling.
Misinformation breeds confusion, smoke and mirrors, and is aided by political spin, gaslighting and stone throwing to keep people moderately confused and ultimately giving up on understanding the âtruthâ, or, deciding their own convenient version of truth.
The closure of the Australian Alternative Press due to revoked funding by Nine and News Corp in 2020 should be enough to tell you the media landscape is gravitating consistently to the right.
4: News Access
People Losing Interest, Murdoch Keeps the Elderly Onside
As traditional mediums (television, radio, and print) are on the decline, social media and online news is on the rise with the aid of mobile device popularity (45% of Australians preferred news devices).
It's not a surprise to learn that during COVID-19, older Australians have increasingly turned to social media platforms to get news.
âThe percentage of 75+ who use social media as their main source of news has more than tripled in two years from 3% to 10%. Among this age group, social media is now comparable to print use.â the report states.
While itâs hard to point this as a direct plot by News Corp, this is still great news for Murdoch. All News Corp had to do was weaken the traditional mediums that arenât making them as much money, and push the audience toward social media. It worked.
75+ votes still count, and they are more likely to click the âclickbaitâ articles to make News Corp that sweet, sweet ad platform revenue.
5: Emerging New HabitsÂ
Murdoch Funds the Fuel for the Fire
Despite people being somewhat varied on their social media usage for news specifically, the important statistic here is that more than half of Australians consume news videos.
The below statistics from the ABC should set alarm bells screaming. To put it plainly:
More people on social media than ever before
Murdoch ramps up social media content (Facebook posts / videos & YouTube videos mainly), then mega-funds paid advertising on said content
Drives subscribers and views through the roof
Overtakes ABC (yes, the one heâs got his politician friends/puppets actively defunding)
Donât believe me? See for yourself.
The ABC outlines that:Â
âFact Check has analysed audience data for media accounts on what Canberra University found were the two most popular platforms: Facebook (used by 39 per cent of news consumers ) and YouTube (21 per cent).â
âData from the analytics site Social Blade shows that Sky News Australia's YouTube channel had more than a million subscribers at the start of 2021, having doubled its following in just six months. Its subscriber base began to pull ahead of Channel 7 and Channel 9 from mid-2020, and by March 2021 Sky had overtaken ABC Newsâ
The University of Canberra report aligns to these trends, and summaries that:
âAustralian news consumers are accessing news online from a diverse range of sources including news videos, podcast apps, and numerous social media platforms alongside traditional branded news websites.â
âAlthough social (media) is the most common main pathway to news online it is common for consumers on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to say they mostly see news incidentally while they are on those platforms for other reasons.â
6: Trust and Misinformation
Rupertâs Bread & Butter
âTackling disinformation and misinformation is complex and wonât be solved by platforms alone. Responsibility must be shared across governments, digital platforms, users, news media and society to make sure Australians can access accurate and reliable news and information online, while ensuring rights to freedom of expression are protected.â
Creina Chapman, Deputy Chair, Australian Communications and Media Authority
This in part ties back to my earlier points in part 3 regarding media literacy - the report indicates that trust remains high where people use both multiple mediums AND multiple sources for news. This is further compounded by the evidence that low educated readers are less likely to know theyâve encountered misinformation.
The report confirms this by indicating:
âThe differences between high and low educated Australian consumers in relation to concern about COVID-19 misinformation and their ability to discern it, points to an ongoing need to boost media and information literacy among socio-economically disadvantaged groups in Australiaâ
The ABC and SBS still continue to be the most trusted brands, however, it needs to be highlighted that âLocal or Regional Newspaperâ comes in third (62% trustworthy) - the vast majority of which Murdoch owns.
In 2020, survey participants were most concerned about Australian governments and politicians being sources of general misinformation (35%), followed by activists or activist groups (20%).
Despite this, 2021 shows that trust in news has increased in 2021 (43%), rebounding off trust associated with COVID-19 news reporting. The report breaks this down further:
âThe data show(s) that concern about journalism as a source of misinformation about COVID-19 is very low (9%). In 2018, we asked about âfake newsâ and 63% of news consumers said they were concerned about poor quality journalism as a source of âfake newsâ, and 40% said they had encountered it. This signals a possible positive shift in perception of journalism after 12 months of reporting expert health advice about the COVID-19 pandemic.â
"The data also highlight(s) ongoing low levels of trust in news found on social media (18%) compared to trust in news generally. Given much of the news encountered on digital platforms is the same as that which appears on the homepages and front pages of well-respected news brands, the findings suggest that the nature of the online environment itself is one the factors lowering perceptions of trust, rather than the news content."
Creina Chapman, Deputy Chair, Australian Communications and Media Authority states in the report that:
âIn the context of online news, nearly two-thirds of Australians remain concerned about what is real and fake on the internet. And a variety of surveys over the past 12 months have shown a concerning portion of the population believe dangerous falsehoods about COVID-19 that have been circulating online.
"Any lack of trust in authoritative or reliable sources of news and information is particularly worrisome during a global pandemic, as it may drive people to spaces where misinformation is more prevalent. This, in turn, increases exposure to false conspiratorial narratives that can result in real-world harm to both individual users and broader societal institutionsâ
Where does Murdoch benefit here? Same as always: smoke, mirrors, confusion, and spin all wrapped into enormous volumes of social media content.
7: Paying for News and Funding Journalism
Conveniently Avoiding the Issue
âTo ensure media diversity and plurality in Australia, a mix of substantive, fiscal measures is necessary to support, transition and stimulate existing news businesses and encourage new entrantsâ
Anna Draffin, Chief Executive Officer, Public Interest Journalism Initiative
Despite a fair and balanced media being a must-have for any democracy - this is not surprising, given the low amounts of trust for online media content. Overall, given that Australians are not concerned about the poor financial state of news outlets, itâs sad but not surprising that many feel the government should not step in to help.
What is the most dangerous here is the simple fact that when thereâs no money to fund decent and ethical journalism, we end up with tabloids, opinion pieces, shock jocks, and anything that just gets you to first: SEE it (an âimpressionâ in the marketing world) and second: CLICK on it. Both of these things make News Corp richer.
Hereâs the report evidence:
âA quarter (25%) of left-wing news consumers and 27% of centre-leaning are supportive of government intervention (to assist struggling journalism). However, more than half of right-wing (58%) news consumers are opposed to government assistance for financially struggling news companies."
âThis is consistent with the findings that left-wing news consumers are more likely to say they are concerned about the financial state of news businesses (41%) compared to centre (37%) or right-wing (34%) news consumersâ.
News consumers who think their political views are represented fairly for online news are another win for Murdoch. This is compounded by the fact that those who think news should take a position are also more likely to pay for that news.
That means if the mainstream media is pro-right wing, for example, then more people look at right wing news and pay for right wing reporting, ultimately leaving the left without funding, and fighting a losing battle. All Murdoch needs to do is discredit who he deems as âleftâ and itâs game over.
But Murdoch doesnât need subscriptions. Thatâs just pocket money for him. With the introduction of the News Media Bargaining Code, Rupert & News Corp continue to improve their financial revenue streams through digital marketing strategies (views and clicks) without needing people to pay for fact based, objective journalism.
8: Political Orientation
Stealing the Centre & Making Opinion the âNewsâ
Of all the elements of this report, this one shocks and upsets me the most.
The majority of Australians (61%) identify with the centre-left of politics (30% political âcentreâ and 31% identify as either âvery left-wingâ, âfairly left-wingâ or âslightly left of centreâ).
Only 22% of Australians align themselves with the right wing, and 18% donât know their political orientation.
Younger generations have historically been the drivers of progressive social change, and younger Australians are more concerned about the environment and the impacts of things like climate change and equality.
Clare Armstrong, National Political Reporter at the The Daily Telegraph outlines in the commentary that:Â
âmany young Australians may rightly feel their futures, livelihoods and social activities have been either jeopardised or overlooked by a centre-right government, and subsequently a larger cohort has been pushed toward the leftâ
To begin in closing, based on this - how do Conservative/Right Wing parties keep winning federal elections?
Itâs by doing exactly what weâve mentioned in the first 7 sections:
Flooding the online and social media landscape with non-factual spin and confusion
This is aided by the bedrock of owning the majority of national, capital city, and regional papers which in turn steer the daily political narrative on television/radio
This is all driven home by bullying competitors into following suit, or, suffering the consequences
There is no governing or peer run body with teeth (or guts) to hold Murdoch and News Corp responsible or accountable
According to the report;Â
âYounger generations, who say they feel less attached to their local community, and who also access social media widely for general news, are more likely to seek local news and information from the internet and online platforms.â
As Clare Armstrong also states:Â
âSocial media has significantly fuelled political polarisation in the last decade as its algorithms, by design, show users more of what they want to see, rather than a broader mix of ideas presented in traditional media.â
In summary - this quote from the Political Orientation trends leaves a long-lasting impression on my psyche:
âLeft-wing news consumers (61% of the country) are more comfortable with news that takes a position rather than maintaining neutrality.â
Rupert has them right where he wants them: thinking that opinion is news.
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